‘Close to home’: Camden locals applaud Amy Winehouse biopic | Back to Black

After the controversy and a slew of unfavourable opinions within the run-up to the discharge of the Amy Winehouse biopic Again to Black, Grace and her mum, Jetta, had been apprehensive about coming to see the movie.

“My daughter mentioned to me: ‘Oh, I’ve heard actually dangerous issues about it.’ So I wasn’t certain what it was going to be like, however when it began, I assumed she appears like her, talks like her and he or she had the look,” Jetta says. “It wasn’t good however you possibly can’t count on any person to be Amy.”

Whereas the pair, who described themselves as “Camden born and bred”, had been pleasantly stunned, they thought the movie glossed over dangerous components of Winehouse’s life, notably her relationships with ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil and her father, Mitch Winehouse.

“Her ex-husband had a light-weight journey truly,” Jetta says.

Grace nods in settlement, earlier than including: “All different issues I’ve watched about Amy, just like the documentary, have kind of painted [Mitch] in a extremely unfavourable gentle. I believe they may have carried out extra on his half in pushing her into fame however I imply, it’s onerous to get from each facet, I suppose.

“To get that in depth into the behind the scenes of her complete story, a few of these individuals may have needed to have been part of it and part of writing the script,” she provides. “I believe you must take it with a pinch of salt.”

The movie follows Winehouse’s life from early maturity to her loss of life from alcohol poisoning in 2011. A lot of the movie is ready in Camden, the place she lived out her 20s.

Gopi and Raakhee got here to Camden to look at the movie on the day of its launch in homage to Amy.

“We had been advised the dangerous opinions earlier than we watched it so after we had been watching it, we had been apprehensive we would should stroll out,” Raakhee says, “however truly we thought it was fairly a very good depiction of her.”

Gopi says that Marisa Abela, who performs Amy, was a very good likeness to her. “You take a look at that you must double take as a result of that’s her, that’s Amy there,” she says, pointing to a poster for the movie.

“She will be able to’t look precisely like Amy as a result of she’s too distinctive … and doesn’t have Amy’s edge however she manages to painting her mannerisms and her accent, and the way in which that she talked was the way in which that Amy talked.”

Vala Magnadóttir, who has lived in Camden for the previous 20 years, additionally says she thought the movie precisely portrayed the borough on the time. “I actually loved it, I actually did,” she says. “I actually solely knew the music on the time. I had some concept of what was occurring, however seeing journalists, a bunch of males, that was fairly stunning.

“I dwell fairly shut and noticed the landmarks however you assume ‘oh, wow, all that was occurring simply so near my residence’ and also you weren’t conscious, it was fairly a shock.”

Magnadóttir says she was satisfied by Abela’s efficiency as Winehouse and was stunned by how effectively she captured the singer’s voice. “The singing was stunning, completely attractive.

“I knew there was some controversy, however I didn’t actually comply with it … I imply, she’s clearly not Amy as a result of she’s an actress. Give individuals a break,” she says.

“I assumed it was a extremely, very nice, stunning movie.”