La Vie Not Rose

I’ll keep this opinion short as I’m quite upset and disappointed. This is a very, very unfair movie to the icon Amy Winehouse is. I don’t know if it’s a victim of these times where the musician biopic is so on trend (without any real triumph in fact) with the Bob Marley Movie, Aretha’s Respect and some others passing by without glory. 

Having lived during my adolescence all the rise and fall of Amy as a person and a musician I wanted to see a glimpse of her memorable artistry on the big screen, have a bit of those chilling and gloomy vibes you used to get when the Back to Black’s video was on TV. But nothing more far away than that with Back to Black the movie. A cartoon and insipid version of all what Amy Winehouse was, leaving aside her talent and exonerating everyone who failed her in her personal circle. 

A few years after her death, the extraordinary documentary, Amy (2014), let me see through her struggles in a very precise and faithful way, but also very well explained why she was such a gem, artistically speaking. An educated musician, a powerful voice, a fragile but striking personality and of course, a uniqueness that made her, just Amy, her last name was going to be accessory, drugs involved or not. 

I remember seeing her being constantly attacked, but at the same time enjoying her music a lot, so as she wanted… perhaps. All of her one of a kind talent and transparent soul is completely erased in this movie. While the minutes passed I couldn’t figure out which story they where trying to tell, because if she is such an icon nowawadays, regardless of the circumstances of her personal life it was because in the middle of the indie rock and pop star resurrection with Gaga and Katy Perry, she was shining by her all means and giving to mainstream a quality and passionate proposal. 

Passion and quality is what Back to black the movie misses the most. Feels so, so empty.

It is just the story of a singer that was really, really, really in love with the wrong man, yes, but, was Amy Winehouse only that? Just typing her name on Spotify and dedicating her 10 minutes after the movie, reminded me why in the future, another filmmaker will do justice to her battle and complex mental health. Probably they just needed more budget or to watch “Amy”, the documentary from 2014.

If anyone gets to see this film, well, don’t judge their leads by this work, they’re great. Leave behind “Back to black” and go binge-watch, Marisa Abela (Amy) in the sexy and intriguing HBO’s Industry and Jack O’Connell, in Unbroken or, well, as the legendary Cook on Skins- series 2.