Talk about massive shoes to fill; Industry star Marisa Abela plays beloved R&B/Soul singer Amy Winehouse in the biopic, Back to Black. Winehouse, who boasted one of the most soulful, unique voices we’ve ever heard, was also someone who had a special relationship with her fans due to her scrappy, blue-collar upbringing and defiant anthemic songs such as “Rehab”. Frankly, it’s the kind of role that can make or break a career, and it means something that the Winehouse estate approved of Abela, who provides her own vocals to many of Winehouse’s songs. Again, massive shoes.
The film is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, who previously directed Fifty Shades of Grey and the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy. And like that movie, Back to Black isn’t so much about the making of Winehouse’s albums, it’s about the struggle, the tragedy, the heartbreak, and the people who inspired her to put so much soul into her music.
Also in the cast are Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan, and Lesley Manville.
Here’s the synopsis: The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame, from her early days in Camden through the making of her groundbreaking album, Back to Black that, catapulted Winehouse to global fame. Told through Amy’s eyes and inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film explores and embraces the many layers of the iconic artist and the tumultuous love story at the center of one of the most legendary albums of all time.
Back to Black opens in theaters on May 17th.
