(PatriotSpotlight.org) – Amy Winehouse’s family has spoken out in the past, saying they have been unjustly depicted in documentaries. However, it’s quite improbable that any of the people portrayed in Sam Taylor-Johnson’s forthcoming biography of Amy Winehouse would take offense.
In the latest biopic, Back to Black, Janis, her mother, is scarcely there, and Eddie Marsan, who plays her father, Mitch, is nothing more than a guardian angel. This is in stark contrast to the predatory parent he was seen as in Asif Kapadia’s documentary “Amy.”
Even Amy’s husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, played by Jack O’Connell, is portrayed as likable. (Fielder-Civil is said to have introduced Winehouse to drug use.)
Fielder-Civil, the tattooed and lanky production assistant, and Amy Winehouse had an on-again, off-again six-year romance that began in a bar in 2005. They had an impulsive wedding in Miami, Florida, which eventually ended in divorce.
Four years after Winehouse’s death, the self-described actor and recovering addict, Fielder-Civil, said that he felt he was still paying for his relationship with Winehouse. He thought it was insulting to suggest he was her puppet master. He denies being the Svengali who destroyed her, a belief many hold.
Winehouse’s grandmother, Cynthia (played by Lesley Manville), was her confidante and fashion inspiration who passed away from lung cancer just when Winehouse’s career skyrocketed.
According to the article, Marisa Abela’s performance as the troubled singer may have even pleased Winehouse. However, after the film’s trailer, some internet users voiced disapproval when comparing the actress’s singing voice to the original.
In the film, Winehouse’s Jewish heritage is always present. Throughout the production, she wears a bold Shield of David (Magen David) necklace. In response to her grandmother’s question about whether Fielder-Civil was Jewish, she evasively answers.
Although the film is packed with the star’s magnetism, a common criticism is that the filmmaker seemed intent on not offending anybody– resulting in a sanitized portrayal of a much more colorful and controversial Winehouse. It appears that while Winehouse binged her way to an alcoholic death, very little is said about her bulimia.
Overall, the film falls short of the dramatic standards Winehouse’s music sets. She was a famous singer battling the isolation of her existence and felt disregarded by everyone around her, and the film portrays it in a manner that won’t make the record business or anybody else feel guilty.
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