Back to Black

Front Row at the Movies by Shirrel Rhoades

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Used to be, performers sang other people’s songs. Then, we were swamped with singer-songwriters, those troubadours who created their own music. And then, those singers began using songs as a diary of their lives.

Today, we search for messages in the music of Taylor Swift, hints about this old boyfriend or that one.

The late Amy Winehouse followed that trend, making music that reflected her own sad life.

After facing a series of tragedies – her parents’ divorce, her grandmother’s terminal lung cancer, her failed relationships – the epitome of her emotional journey was expressed in her second album, “Back to Black.”

Winehouse predominantly based the album on her tumultuous relationship with her future husband Blake Fielder-Civil. He left her temporarily to get back together with his ex-girlfriend.

The songs reflect themes of “grief, guilt, and heartache.”

“Back to Black” received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised both Winehouse’s songwriting and her emotive singing style.

At the 2008 Grammys, “Back to Black” won Best Pop Vocal Album. Winehouse won four additional awards, tying her with five other artists as the second-most awarded female in a single ceremony.

Now we have “Back to Black,” a same-named biopic about Amy Winehouse. Approved by her estate, the film tells her story – growing up, musical success, and her on-again off-again relationship with Blake Fielder-Civil. Even going into her eventual marriage to Blake and his leaving her for someone new.

Of course, the background to her short life – she died at 27 – was her alcoholism, drug use, and anorexia.

Marisa Abela (“She Is Love,” “Rogue Agent”) was tapped to play Amy, with Jack O’Connell (“Skins”) as Blake.

Scoring only 34% on Rotten Tomatoes, the aggregator said: “Back to Black’s” sympathetic approach to its subject’s story is an overdue antidote to the tabloid treatment she often received in life, even if the end results are disappointingly pedestrian.”

If you were one of the more than 16 million fans who bought Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” album, you will want to see this film that’s currently playing at the Tropic Cinema.

Email Shirrel: srhoades@aol.com