I wish I knew what was going on.
Today, 18 reviews for the Amy Winehouse biopic, “Back to Black” have popped up on Rotten Tomatoes.
They are evenly divided, which is not good. A 50% rating is considered rotten.
What’s really weird is that the Focus Feature’s release date is May 17th — more than a month away. Usually studios embargo reviews for films, and certainly for those with mixed reviews.
Interestingly, both Variety and the Hollywood Reporter said it was “fresh” despite misgivings. But The Wrap critic William Bibbiani hated it, and so did a lot of British reviewers.
This seems an odd way to start a campaign. A documentary about Winehouse called “Amy,” from Asif Kapadia, won an Oscar a few years back. A lot of comments under the reviews are saying that’s the only real Amy Winehouse film.
On the positive side, reviewers seem to like Marisa Abela as Amy. It’s the screenplay they have issues with. I can’t wait to see it. Let’s keep an open mind!
