‘Not everyone can do it like her’ – Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black has world premiere in London
Known for her iconic look and unique talent, Amy Winehouse had risen to an unimaginable level of fame by the time she had died of alcohol poisoning in 2011. She was 27.
The London artist whose songs include Rehab and Tears Dry On Their Own, had struggled with addiction and bulimia throughout her music career.
Now, with Sam Taylor-Johnson at the helm, her life and love of music has been made into its own film titled Back To Black.
The director, who lived in the same neighbourhood as the iconic singer, says she wanted to ensure the film was from Winehouse’s perspective.
Sam Taylor-Johnson wanted show Winehouse’s perspective. Pic: StudioCanal
Using journals, songs and writings from the late artist, she and screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh created the biopic from her own words.
“That felt like the best way to give her back her voice in a way,” she tells Sky News at the world premiere of Back To Black in London.
Marisa Abela portrays Amy Winehouse in the biopic. The 27-year-old British actress says she felt like Amy’s “life had been so picked apart that it was hard to sort of feel anything but the tragedy”.
Marisa Abela said Amy Winehouse’s legacy ‘is one of authenticity’ Pic: StudioCanal
She says it was important to her, the cast and crew that the film shone a light on the talents of the London artist.
“Her legacy is one of authenticity and heart fullness. She embodies her feelings, she wears them on her sleeve but not everyone can do it like her.”
The film depicts the singer-songwriter being hounded constantly by paparazzi.
The late singer’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil is played by This Is England actor Jack O’Connell.
Amy’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil is played by Jack O’Connell Pic: StudioCanal
He says he wanted to make sure there was “a lot of depth” to his portrayal of Winehouse’s former partner who had often been linked with the harsher stories of the musician in tabloid press.
“It was definitely a persona put out there of him,” the actor explains.
He says: “At that level of success she had, when you have paparazzi contributing to that [her addiction], it’s a bad recipe and it’s heartbreaking… it’s definitely an antagonist in the movie.”
Jack O’Connell says addiction ‘ is present throughout’ Pic: StudioCanal
Back To Black doesn’t shy away from the inclusion of the couple’s run in with addiction – of which O’Connell calls “a definite evil that is present throughout”.
Happy-Go Lucky actor Eddie Marsan, who plays Mitch Winehouse in the film, says her death was “a collective trauma” for the world but for her dad, it was the loss of a daughter.
“This film has the courage to show that the main villain of this piece is addiction,” he tells Sky News.
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Eddie Marsan plays Winehouse’s father Pic: StudioCanal
Marsan adds that there are certain safeguards that should have been in place at the time for celebrities like Amy Winehouse, who struggled with sobriety.
“There’s a reason why recovery programmes are called Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, because you need anonymity and privacy to deal with your addiction. And Amy was never afforded that.
“She was hounded in the middle of her addiction. So that made it twice as hard, wrote 100 times harder for the family to say. But they did nine interventions and they still couldn’t save her.”
Amy Winehouse’s music spread beyond the UK. In 2008, she won five Grammy Awards including Best New Artist, Song of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.
Back To Black is in cinemas on Friday 12th April.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK
Despite The Who’s Quadrophenia being set over 60 years ago, Pete Townshend’s themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
The album is having a renaissance as Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia A Mod ballet is being brought to life via dance at Sadler’s Wells East, and Sky News has an exclusive first look.
As Townshend puts it, the album he wrote is “perfect” for the stage.
Pete Townshend
“My wife Rachel did the orchestration for me, and as soon as I heard it I said to her it would make a fabulous ballet and we never really let that go,” he tells Sky News.
“Heavy percussion, concussive sequences. They’re explosive moments. They’re also romantic movement moments.”
If you identify with the demographics of Millennial, Gen Y or Gen Z, you might not be familiar with The Who and Mod culture.
But in post-war Britain the Mods were a cultural phenomenon characterised by fashion, music, and of course, scooters. The young rebels were seen as a counter-culture to the establishment and The Who, with Roger Daltry’s lead vocals and Pete Townshend’s writing, were the soundtrack.
Quadrophenia the album is widely regarded as an essay on the British adolescent experience at the time, focusing on the life of fictional protagonist Jimmy – a young Mod struggling with his sanity, self-doubt, and alienation.
Townshend sets the rock opera in 1965 but thinks its themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
He says: “The phobias and the restrictions and the unwritten laws about how young men should behave. The ground that they broke, that we broke because I was a part of it.
“Men were letting go of [the] wartime-related, uniform-related stance that if I wear this kind of outfit it makes me look like a man.”
Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson
This struggle of modern masculinity and identity appears to be echoing today as manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate, incel culture, and Netflix’s Adolescence make headlines.
For dancer Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy, the story resonates.
Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet
“I think there’s a connection massively and I think there may even be a little more revival in some way,” he tells Sky News.
“I love that myself. I love non-conforming to gender norms and typical masculinity; I think it’s great to challenge things.”
Despite the album being written before he was born, the dancer says he was familiar with the genre already.
“I actually did an art GCSE project about Mods and rockers and Quadrophenia,” he says.
“I think we’ll be able to bring it to new audiences and hopefully, maybe people will be inspired to to learn more about their music and the whole cultural movement of the early 60s.”
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In 1979, the album was adapted into a film directed by Franc Roddam starring Ray Winstone and Sting but Townshend admits because the film missed key points he is “not a big fan”.
“What it turned out to be in the movie was a story about culture, about social scenario and less about really the specifics of mental illness and how that affects young people,” he adds, also complimenting Roddam’s writing for the film.
Perhaps a testament to Pete Townshend’s creativity, Quadrophenia started as an album, was successfully adapted to film and now it will hit the stage as a contemporary ballet.
It appears that over six decades later Mod culture is still cool and their issues still relatable.
Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet will tour to Plymouth Theatre Royal from 28 May to 1 June 2025, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 10 to 14 June 2025 and the Mayflower, Southampton from 18 to 21 June 2025 before having its official opening at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London on 24 June running to 13 July 2025 and then visiting The Lowry, Salford from 15 to 19 July 2025.
Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.
The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.
The charges relate to four women.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.
Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.
He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.
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Ashna Hurynag discusses Russell Brand’s charges
The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.
Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.
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The comedian has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.
He added in a video on X: “Of course, I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.
“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”
Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.
Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.
Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.
Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP
Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.
“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.
“I wish you well on the next journey.”
The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.
Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.
Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP
Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.
He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.
Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.
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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.
In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.
The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.
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