A tale mistold

What the controversial Amy Winehouse film gets wrong about the late singer and why it matters

- LISA WHITTINGTON-HILL

“I just want people to hear my voice and forget their troubles for five minutes.” These are the first words spoken by Amy Winehouse, played by actor Marisa Abela, in “Back to Black,” the new biopic about the British singer-songwriter. It’s an interesting opener considering that when Winehouse died in July 2011, from alcohol poisoning at the age of 27, she was as known for her troubles as she was for her talents.

In January 2023, photos from the film’s set were released, showing Abela sporting Winehouse’s trademark beehive and winged eyeliner, but appearing dishevelled and distraught, creating the impression that the film would focus only on the tabloid aspects of the singer’s life, including her struggles with addiction, mental health issues and dysfunctional relationships.

Many on social media immediately expressed concern, with some calling for a boycott of the film.

British singer Amy Winehouse, above left in 2007, is portrayed by Marisa Abela, above right, in the biopic “Back to Black.”

The timing of a Winehouse movie makes sense. The cultural reckoning of #MeToo has resulted in a re-examination of how female celebrities were exploited, especially in the late 1990s and 2000s. Young women like Winehouse, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears were reduced to caricatures, punchlines and tabloid casualties, and “Back to Black” joins a long line of redemption efforts.

Yet musical biopics are challenging to make. There are families, surviving bandmates and estates to please, not to mention fans who rarely think the portrayal they see onscreen matches the one in their hearts or heads.