When it comes to the life and legacy of Amy Winehouse, the Grammy winning singer and songwriter who tragically died aged just 27, fans are fiercely protective.
The 2015 documentary Amy, directed by Asif Kapadia, was a beautiful but devastating homage to her struggles with love, fame and addiction.
It was so well received that people felt justice had been done when it came to immortalising Amy’s life.
So, following news that a fictionalised version, Back to Black, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson is set to hit big screens next month, fans have been split over whether or not the film is necessary.
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There were also concerns over the casting choices. The film stars Marisa Abela as Amy, and Jack O’Connell as Blake Fielder-Civil, with whom Amy had a tumultuous and damaging relationship.
With the release date fast approaching (12 April), the trailers and snippets are landing thick and fast.
The latest clip, which shows Abela as Amy, recording her hit song 'Stronger Than Me', has viewers all saying the same thing - and it’s not good.
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Filmmaker Taylor-Johnson has made the call not to have Abela lipsync over Amy’s world-renowned vocals. Instead, she is singing using her own voice. And the results fall flat.
Amy is known to be one of the best singers to have ever lived, so many viewers are at a loss to understand why they would be missing from the film, and why a woman portraying her would use their own voice.
The comments on the clip, originally posted to TikTok, have been turned off - but viewers fled to other forms of social media to share their reactions.
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One wrote on X: “The voice is mocking. Everyone should be ashamed.”
Another added: “Amy Winehouse was such a talented and emotional performer and this movie doesn’t seem to capture any of that.”
A third echoed: “Amy’s voice is maybe the ultimate definition of 'often imitated never replicated' and here’s exhibit a. jesus christ at least bohemian rhapsody understood that rami malek needed to lip sync.”
Back to Black is in UK cinemas on 12th April.
Topics: Amy Winehouse, TV And Film, Celebrity, Social Media, Music
Kya Buller