Actor Jack O’Connell reacted to the increasing public eye directed at his portrayal of Blake Fielder-Civil in the new biographical movie Back to Black which revolves around the life and legacy of deceased singer Amy Winehouse. The film that premiered in the UK on the 12th of April and will soon be shown in the U.S. on May 17 has created lively debates on different platforms, focusing on its presentation of Winehouse’s struggles and relationships.
Fielder-Civil Talks About Criticism
O’Connell recently spoke about the criticism the film had received for its narrative, which a large section of critics accused of romanticizing too much Winehouse’s messy relationship with Fielder-Civil, her ex-husband.
“We’re not even calling this a biopic — it’s a celebration,” O’Connell declared as he objected to the film being viewed as if it were using Winehouse’s memory for profit, “If it were a piece aiming to vilify her or portray her without love, then I’d understand the criticism. But that’s not what we made.”
He also spoke of the difficulty in representing real-life personalities in these real-life controversial people whose stories have been told from only one side. “It’s very easy to look at someone like Blake from the outside and make judgments,” he said. “But he’s a human being with a story, just like Amy was.”
How Blake Fielder-Civil was Depicted: “Misunderstood”
For his part, O’Connell had to meet with Fielder-Civil in order to be able to play the role. Fielder-Civil, whose friction-filled relationship with Winehouse was always in the media as one of the things that the singer struggled with her addiction along with, personally met with O’Connell to help him understand the character from his perspective.
“He was quite open,” O’Connell said. “He spoke so highly of Amy. You could tell he really loved her, despite everything.” The actor described Fielder-Civil as “very misunderstood,” adding that their conversations helped him approach the role with nuance and empathy.
Above the gathered was an action that was also perfectly aware of the emotional load that goes with playing a person around whom the community is so divided. He said, “It is really difficult to join a project that you know from the outset that some people will not want to shoot at all.”
A Divided Audience
Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and with Marisa Abela as Winehouse, Back to Black’s goal is to talk about Amy and not anything that was going around her also to show at the same time some of her weaknesses. However, the reviews are so far mixed. Some critics consider that the movie actually hides the truth and in a way glorifies those surrounding her, while others are of the opinion that it shows Winehouse as a human being in a way that no previous documentary has done.
The breaking up of Amy’s legacy only has a deep and emotional root in the fans and it is definitely making her life an even more of an intense topic of remembrance. Nevertheless, O’Connell is optimistic and thinks that our purpose is to begin to acknowledge the variety of her life – not merely seeing her suffering, but also her creativity and her lively character.
What’s Next for Jack O’Connell
After Back to Black, O’Connell seems to be setting foot in the horror territory as well with the announcement that he has been cast in the forthcoming 28 Years Later, which is a follow-up to the 2002 cult horror classic 28 Days Later. Nia DaCosta will be at the helm of the project. Besides O’Connell, the movie co-stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes. The first of the three-film series of the long-awaited movie is written all over it, and this is indeed a kind of rebirth of British horror film for the amazing audience of fans.
Jack O’Connell’s new life has anything but emotion-driven performances, focusing only on the high-budget projects as shown in Back to Black where in a short time there will be more blockbuster movie visuals available with him being the main star.
