Amy Winehouse Biopic “BACK TO BLACK” Coming Exclusively to Ayala Malls Cinemas on May 15, 2024

Ayala Malls Cinemas continues to raise the bar when it comes to film content by making art and music of various genres more accessible to all with this month’s “Back to Black,” a biopic celebrating the life and music of the talented Amy Winehouse, a great artist whose untimely passing at the age of 27 broke the hearts of millions of fans around the world. Film enthusiasts and music lovers hoping to watch the biopic about the late singer, whose most famous hits include “Rehab,” “You Know I’m No Good” and “Back to Black,” can catch the movie exclusively in Ayala Malls Cinemas starting on May 15, 2024.

“Back to Black” is a deeply soulful and astonishingly powerful look at one of the 21st century’s biggest talents, and attempts to understand how personal demons tore Amy Winehouse (played by Marisa Abela) apart. With a script based on first-person material, we see the rise of Amy Winehouse from her suburban upbringing to global superstardom, before her death, leaving the world with an indelible legacy. 

 

“Back to Black” the album won 5 Grammys and sold over 16 million copies, and is the framework for the film. “I wanted to make a film from Amy’s perspective, through her eyes,” says director Sam Taylor-Johnson, whose previous works include “NoWhere Boy,” about another late genius artist, John Lennon. “The only place where her truth could be found was in her lyrics and music. I decided to tell her story through her own words, from the songs that she wrote, the songs where she poured out her soul. She sung of her love, her pain, her disappointment, all infused with deep emotion and often savagely sharp humor.” The team also worked with the cooperation of the holders of the music rights, Universal Music, and Sony, and it was also important for them to be respectful of family and friends. “Sam made it clear from the beginning she would only come on board if she could tell Amy’s story as truthfully as she could, from Amy’s own writings and lyrics. Sam did not want to be beholden to anyone for any approvals – she needed complete creative freedom,” says producer Alison Owen, who spearheaded the project with the goal that Winehouse be remembered for being one of the most inspiring artists of the 21st century, instead of for the controversies and her early death.

Marisa Abela, who plays Amy Winehouse, has been lauded by critics for her performance. Variety attributes the power of the film to “Abela, whose lead performance nails Amy Winehouse in every look, mood, utterance, and musical expression.” In their review, The Guardian wrote that “Abela conveys [Winehouse’s] tenderness, and perhaps most poignantly of all her youth, so tellingly at odds with that tough image and eerily mature voice.”

Watch “Back to Black” starting May 15 only at Ayala Malls Cinemas.