Movie Reviews
Back to Black review: Amy Winehouse biopic too melodramatic to hit the high notes
In cinemas; Cert 15A
Marisa Abela stars as Amy Winehouse in director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s ‘Back to Black’
A backlash is already under way here. At its worst, Sam Taylor-Johnson’s hugely anticipated Amy Winehouse biopic is a bit of a soap opera. At its best, it allows some terrific actors to show us what they’re capable of.
Indeed, the film’s cast applies delicacy and professionalism to a near-impossible task. Everyone brings their A-game; nobody is out to cause offence. The problems, however, are on the page, and Matt Greenhalgh’s silly, shallow screenplay is loaded with clumsy exposition and irksome rock-flick cliches.