How do you tell the story of Amy Winehouse on screen? Not only was it extensively documented by the media before her untimely death at the age of 27 in 2011, but it was also put into sharp focus in Asif Kapadia’s 2015 documentary Amy – an unflinching look at her story, and the media’s complicity in her struggles. The filmmakers tasked with creating a music biopic celebrating the legendary singer’s life, titled Back To Black, are director Sam Taylor-Johnson and writer Matt Greenhalgh, the duo behind John Lennon movie Nowhere Boy – and despite fears that their officially-sanctioned film might shy away from the difficult roles that Amy’s nearest and dearest played in her life, they tell Empire that they weren’t under pressure to tell the story a certain way.
According to Taylor-Johnson, Winehouse’s family didn’t contribute to the film. “It was important to meet with them out of respect,” she says. “But they have no involvement in terms of… like, they couldn’t change things. They couldn’t dictate how I was to shoot. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done it.” That includes Amy’s father Mitch, who received a less-than-flattering portrait in Kapadia’s documentary. While he wasn’t directly involved, he has now seen Back To Black. “I know he saw the film. I wasn’t there. I haven’t spoken to him. I think he keeps his feelings pretty much to himself. The important thing for me was not to have any of that noise in my sphere while making the film,” says Taylor-Johnson. “And I didn’t need the family’s approval. All the music rights were approved by Universal and Sony. So what I wanted as much as possible was the truth of Amy, and Amy’s relationship was that she loved her dad, whether we think he did right or wrong.”
Greenhalgh similarly didn’t meet with the family – the filmmakers chose to tell Amy’s story from her perspective, using her lyrics largely as a basis. “If I wanted Mitch’s opinion, it was all pretty much laid out in [his] book,” says the screenwriter. “It’s the same with [mother] Janis. I don’t think I could have got anything more by meeting.” The resulting film is a creative collaboration from everyone involved, including Marisa Abela and Jack O’Connell – the duo cast as Amy and her partner Blake. “It’s a creative film,” says Greenhalgh. “I know a lot of people still can’t understand that, still can’t get their head around it. It’s my take on Amy’s life and then it’s Sam’s take on Amy’s life. And then it’s Marisa and Jack’s take on Amy and Blake. In the end, it’s all subjective, but you hope that opinion is accepted and embraced by your audience.” Cue the music.
Read Empire’s full Black To Black feature in the Star Wars prequels 25th anniversary issue – on sale Thursday 15 February. Back To Black comes to UK cinemas on 12 April.