Amy Winehouse's story is now being told on the big screen.
Though the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter was only 27 years old when she passed away in 2011, the mark she left on the music industry, and the world, was undeniable, and now, fans of songstress — who gave us so many memorable hits like "Fuck Me Pumps," "Valerie," and "Rehab" — will finally be able to learn more about her thanks to Focus Features' latest biopic Back to Black.
Named after her critically-acclaimed sophomore album, the film is a snapshot of Winehouse's life, telling the story of how she broke out into the harsh music industry while, at the same time, navigating tumultuous personal times, like the death of her beloved grandmother and her intense, rocky relationship with her husband Blake Fielder-Civil.
Out got the chance to sit down with actress Marisa Abela, who played Winehouse in Back to Black, as well as director Sam Taylor-Johnson to talk about all the new things they learned about Winehouse while crafting the film, what it's like releasing it into the world, and their favorite deep cuts.
"It's really hard because obviously of her own music as a songwriter, she only had two albums, so I feel like everyone is very aware of her music that she created," Abela told Out when asked what her fave Amy deep cut is. "In terms of her covers, I think 'Teach Me Tonight' is amazing. I also think that 'Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?' from the Lioness album is an incredible cover, and 'Someone to Watch Over Me' as a cover is also amazing."
"Every day I sort of choose a different one because I find it so hard to choose one," Taylor-Johnson added. "When she did 'Love Is a Losing Game' at the Mercury Prize... I remember watching that performance and you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was holding their breath because she'd sort of returned and she'd returned in such a strong way. Yet we were all so familiar with the heartbreak. And so that one resonates with me a lot on many days. And then there are other days where I like 'Tears Dry on Their Own' and I want to dance it off."
Back to Black is now playing in theaters.
