Tag Archives: music

TUNER – Review

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Okay, the big Summer movie season somewhat officially kicked in last weekend with that unlikely but still dynamic duo of space adventurers from that galaxy far, far away. And though there’s a more “grounded” thriller that is defying box office trends (I suppose some are “obsessed” about its “upward mobility”), how about another “nail-biter” not involving the post-college crowd and a poorly thought-out wish? Mind you, this tale’s hero is in his late twenties, but possesses an “old soul,” and lots of baggage, including an affliction that aids with his chosen profession. And no, it’s not a spin on that Marvel streaming stalwart Daredevil. This morose man isn’t a crime-fighter, nor a career criminal, He’s merely a working stiff who’s an exceptional piano TUNER.

The audio “savant” in question is Niki White (Leo Woodall), who is the main employee (more of a co-partner and surrogate son) of his late jazz player papa’s BFF, Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman). The duo dashes about the ritzy digs of the swells around the Big Apple in their ramshackle van, repairing and tuning pianos. Actually, Niki does the tuning since Harry is nearly deaf. But Niki also has an “auditory affliction” that makes him the “top of the craft”. He has hyperacusis, an intense sensitivity to sound. Niki must always wear noise-cancelling earplugs, which are augmented by big headphones while out on the street. Since Niki lives alone, Harry invites him to dinner made by his protective wife (and Niki’s surrogate mama), Marla (Tovah Feldshuh). When she scolds Harry for not wearing his hearing aids, he reluctantly confesses that he locked them in his small closet safe and can’t recall the combination. Being a “good son”, Niki takes the safe back to his apartment, where he watches a few online videos about “safe-cracking.” Thanks again to his “keen” ear, Niki can hear the tumblers click into place. The next day, at a job for a music conservatory, he tunes a piano for a stressed-out student, Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), who is preparing a “showcase” piece to impress a renowned composer, scouting for an intern. The two engage in a bit of bickering flirtation. Later, Niki and Harry head to a fancy wedding ballroom that, unfortunately, is full of noisy construction workers. They’re on a deadline, so Niki agrees to return solo later that evening for the tune-up. All’s quiet, until Niki is stunned by drilling noises upstairs. He finds a “security” crew trying to open a safe (“for extra-security, y’know?”). In order to get back to his job, Niki uses his new “skill” to open it. The team’s boss, Uri (Lior Raz), is impressed, throwing a wad of money at him and an offer of more “work”. Niki thinks nothing of it until tragedy strikes, and he’s in need of extremely quick cash. Soon, he contacts Uri, who isn’t really a security company owner (no surprise), and agrees to be their “ear” if nobody gets hurt. How long can Uri and his “hairtrigger” gang keep that promise? And how will this impact Niki’s budding romance with Ruthie?

These unpredictable twists and turns are anchored by the steady, confident, low-key lead performance by Woodall. He’s made a name for himself with work on several streaming TV shows, though I caught his supporting work last year in NUREMBERG. This time he dominates the story, with Niki in nearly every scene until the intense final act. Woodhall gives us a new spin on the classic doomed crime noir hero, that reg’lar Joe sinking into criminal quicksand. Yes, Niki is stoic and “closed-off,” which zeroes in on his loneliness. His “gift” is more of a curse, making him feel like a true outsider, having to shield himself from the chaotic cacophony around him. Yet, he somehow makes a connection with Liu’s Ruthie, a different kind of outsider, as the pursuit of her art complicates all those personal connections. Yet, Lui conveys that same sense of yearning as she reaches out to the tight-lipped “tuner”. The big conflict comes from the ingratiating and sinister Raz, whose jocular demeanor masks a violent opportunist. While the “big draw” for many may be the casting of Jean Reno, who we don’t see until the pivotal reveal of that world-famous composer during the harrowing climactic moments. Reno has that errudite, effete attitude down until the sight of something brings him nearly crashing back to Earth. But the most notable screen vets are the caring couple supporting Woodhall’s Niki. The motherly warmth emanates from Feldshuh, whose caring concern is the tale’s moral backbone. Her “instinct” is at full alert as she sees a change in her beloved “big boy”. And, handling fatherly duties while mounting a considerable “charm offensive” is the effortlessly engaging Hoffman, who has been “sprung” from the “cancel” prison (yes, he did deserve a “time-out”) to give us another serving of his leading man (now scene-stealing comic character) charisma. I’m guessing another two-time Oscar-winning actor “serving time” is following this closely.

One of the film’s biggest surprises concerns the creative artist behind the camera, Oscar-winning documentary director (for NAVALNY) Daniel Roher, who co-wrote the script with screenplay vet (LIFE, BIG TROUBLE) Robert Ramsey. This is Roher’s first fiction feature, and he attacks this with energizing gusto. There are no big action set pieces, but he keeps the tension taut due to his steady pacing (he lets us really “get to know” the players), and the plot’s twists and turns. We know that Niki’s “side gig” will cause havoc, yet we root for him to “escape” this life and allow Ruthie in. His condition goes from being an odd “gimmick” or “hook” to morphing into another character. Big kudos to the stellar sound department, who plunge us into the intense audio world of Niki, making us feel his “pain” (an air horn is his Kyptonite). The location work is splendid, as is the score by Will Bates that weaves original classical tunes with jazz standards. Here’s a cinematic rarity, a quiet, engaging character study that keeps us on the edge of our seats. It’s a perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon, though don’t wait for it to stream on the tube. See it on the big screen, so others of its ilk can find a slot at the multiplex between the franchise blockbusters. Hate to use a pun, but TUNER just hits all the right notes.

3.5 Out of 4

TUNER is now playing in select theatres

BILLIE EILISH: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT- THE TOUR LIVE IN 3D – Review

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Hey, is this a movie website or a music website? The confusion is understandable considering the many music-based films that have already opened in 2026 (and we’re not at the halfway mark). I’ve reviewed two of them in the last couple of weeks, with the box office dynamics of the biopic MICHAEL and last week’s “shaggy dog” documentary PRETTY UGLY: THE STORY OF THE LUNACHICKS (worth a stream). And going all the way back to February, there was “the King” in EPiC (thank ya’ very much). I suppose this new film is a bit more of the latter, as it’s a “fly-on-the-wall” portrait of a music superstar and her “arena sell-out” tour. Specifically, it’s one stop on said tour. Oh, and it’s crafted (credited as co-director) by a man better known for SF/fantasy epics in glorious, eye-popping 3D. And this is shot in the same format, which closely approximates the experience of BILLIE EILISH: HIT ME HARD AND HIT ME SOFT-THE TOUR LIVE IN 3D. Sure, you’ll have to wear those glasses, but the concession prices are a lot less “pricey”!


The last big worldwide tour for this twenty-something singing sensation (she’s half an “EGOT” already) occurred over the last two years or so. The opening number puts us right into the enthusiastic audience (well over 70, 000) in Manchester, England, during two nights in July 2025 at the Co-Op Live venue. After “wowing” them with “Chihiro”, the film “backtracks” a few minutes to show how she snuck onto the giant floating LED-sparkly cube. Well, that can be “retired”. After another number, the “doc-clock” takes us to the hotel room of Ms. Eilish around breakfast time for a brief interview with her collaborator/co-director, James Cameron (yes, Mr. TITANIC and AVATAR). The film goes back and forth between the concert performances (with only a four-member band and a pair of backup singers), and the preparation details (sound and tech “checks”, backstage meetings, and some “dog time” with several local “rescues”). For those “newbies” (guess I’m one), we’re treated to some archival clips of Eilish playing at smaller venues (hard to believe she’s been at it for ten years), often next to another collaborator, her talented brother Finneas. Making this tour extra special, and perhaps a bit more daunting, is that she’ll be “out there” without the support of her “big bro”. But there’s seemingly no anxiety as the “petite powerhouse” has the ecstatic and extremely vocal fans in the palm of her gloved hand.

Now, I can’t claim that Eilish was an “unknown” to me before this new film. Of course, I heard her Oscar-winning songs from the last James Bond flick and BARBIE. However, I also streamed two previous movies (perhaps more like extended music videos) a few years ago, BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY and HAPPIER THAN EVER: A LOVE LETTER TO LOS ANGELES (which features several delightful animated sequences, so it was natural fit for Disney+), because I find her vocal styling relaxing and I was impressed with her comedic skills on SNL (she “held her own” with the great Kate McKinnon). It turns out that I had never seen her as a superb entertainer who also puts on a heckuva’ show ( I was reminded of Elvis in EPiC, telling reporters that his fans could just listen to his albums at home, so he owed them a spectacle for going out). As much as I enjoyed the concert sequences, I was perhaps more riveted by the interviews with Cameron (he’s pushing back against his “raging despot dictator director” rep by his easy-going eagerness to be merely a “reporter”), as she explains her desires and inspirations. Eilish is also quite an athlete, as her legs are taped up backstage (I’ll bet she really gets her steps “in”), and later shows off the scratches (some truly “deep cuts”) from reaching out to the audience. And nothing escapes her attention as we watch her make detailed notes on all the stage effects, especially the choice of color for each tune. In many ways, this film may actually be a love story at heart, between the artist and her audience, with each giving and receiving intense connection, despite the massive stadium throngs. I did find it off-putting to hear the crowds singing along with her every word in every song, muttering, “I paid to hear Billie, not the kids around me,” but Eilish revels in the waves of concentrated connectivity. And though much of her work tells of heartbreak and thwarted longing, Eilish exudes joy as she dashes about the stage and below it (there’s a real labyrinth just out of sight). Hey, I almost forgot to mention that the 3D isn’t gimmicky with only a few “in your face” shots of microphones and the huge dangling spotlights, though I often thought that folks in the rows in front of me were standing up to block my view. Needless to say, this would be best seen on the biggest screen with a top-of-the-line sound system (when it streams, I’ll certainly put it on “cc” to help grasp her lyrics). An engaging and entertaining (and informative) time can now be had at the multiplex (with better parking options than a stadium), experiencing BILLIE EILISH: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT-THE TOUR LIVE IN 3D.

3 Out of 4

BILLIE EILISH: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT-THE TOUR LIVE IN 3D is in theatres everywhere on Friday, May 8, 2026

PRETTY UGLY: THE STORY OF THE LUNACHICKS – Review

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With MICHAEL dominating the box office last weekend, are you in the mood for another musical movie? Not another “biopic”, instead, how about a rollicking documentary? Here’s just the (theatre) ticket. I’ll admit that my music knowledge is lacking, as the only “girls bands” in my limited “sphere” are the Go-Go’s and the Bangles (well, I just recalled Banarama). It turns out that when the Punk Rock craze made its way “across the pond” from Britain in the early 1980’s, a quartet (often a quintet) of talented young women from the Big Apple decided to “heed the call”. They mixed driving “metal” beats with lots of high energy and showmanship (or should it be “show-woman-ship”) and lots of humor, beginning with their act’s name. It’s all explained in PRETTY UGLY: THE STORY OF THE LUNACHICKS.

The doc begins its story just a few years ago, as several of the original members are contemplating a reunion tour (the ole’ “We’re getting the band back together” bit). We’re quickly whisked away, back in time to NYC in the mid 1980s, a grimier and more dangerous era of that burg. That starting trio met in the school of performing arts from the FAME movie and TV show. They created songs inspired by favorite Tv shows like “The Brady Bunch” and hastily learned how to play their instruments (sort of the other way around for most bands). Their first gigs were chaotic (chants of “Show us your t#%&s” from the rowdy dudes), but they got their “mojo rising” and put together a wardrobe that defined their style: frizzed hair, spiked leather, and tutus. The last reflected a sense of humor, paired with “blacked-out” teeth and bold hair colors. Soon they’re touring the country with the Beastie Boys, the Ramones, and even the Go-Go’s. New members are brought in as some mainstays depart (many different drummers) as the road takes its toll with personality clashes and dramatic “affairs of the heart”. Things fizzled out at the start of a new century, when the ladies drifted apart to pursue new interests (the lead singer, Theo Kogan, was a Calvin Klein fashion model, while Gina Volpe went back into painting and design). Somehow their rabid fan base grew, and ignited a call for a return to live performances. The film profiles each band member and documents their qualms and excitement over going back “out there”.

Director/writer Ilya Chaiken has crafted a most informative and entertaining original story of this very influential band that more pop culture mavens (yours truly included) need to know about. The doc has a breezy, informal style that deftly meshes “talking head”-type interviews; besides the ladies, there’s the Go-Go’s Gina Schock, Miss Guy, and Debbie (Blondie) Harry! To recreate the time periods, Chaiken utilizes archival news footage (you can almost smell those NYC “mean streets), film footage from TIMES SQUARE, along with grainy Super 8mm (yeah) from the band’s collection (along with camcorder shots, sigh). The talented Ms. Volpe contributes some groovy underground comics-style animation over some photos (oh, and her art is fantastic). But the movie’s strength comes from the personal reflections of the members. Theo is perhaps the most articulate, Volpe is a bit more spirited, while Silver may be the most emotional as she frets over their stage return. Equally engaging is the unfiltered Becky West, a drummer from 89-94. We see her on a Howard Stern TV dating show sketch, and more importantly, we witness her “laying down the law” to some overly-aggressive “bros” at a venue. A most endearing “call back” is watching them encounter a huge subway photo from their “heyday”, now used as an ad. It seems that the ‘stage blood” rigged to make it seem as if their “monthly time” was “in sync” was airbrushed out. You bet they were edgy, though they have a sweet nostalgia for the hour spent in a camper crisscrossing the US and Mexico (the custom agents helped them out). As with many retrospectives of the time, “substances” play a big factor in the turmoil, along with romances (in the group and outsiders), which leads to their hiatus. It all paves the way for a delightful celebratory finale, though I would have loved some subtitles for the growly guttural lyric (I’m showing my age). Still, fans and “newbies” (guilty) will find much to enjoy in the rambunctious revelry of PRETTY UGLY: THE STORY OF THE LUNACHICKS.


3 out of 4

PRETTY UGLY: THE STORY OF THE LUNATICS is in select theatres, including St. Louis’ Hi-Pointe Theater for one night only at 8:30 pm on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT – Review

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You’d think that Aussie director Baz Luhrmann would’ve had his fill of “the King” after making his big-budget Oscar-nominated biopic of ELVIS nearly four years ago. And you would be so wrong. And Presley fans (and scores of fanatics), along with general movielovers are all the richer for it. Turns out that Baz wanted access to all the footage from the two Elvis concert films from the early 70s, and was probably gobsmacked by the 68 boxes of 35mm (and some 8mm) film delivered from deep within the vaults of Warner Brothers. We do get an overview of the man’s life and career, but the main focus is on the legendary performing tenure begun in 1969 at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. All the hi-tech cleaning and polishing only add to the legend, and truly earn the main title of EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT. Lace up those blue suede shoes…

The taut ninety-minute documentary/concert deftly combines both cinema elements. Baz assembles little “sidebars” that pop up almost like chapter bookends here. There’s a section devoted to his adored “Mama”, initial cultural impact (an explosion almost) with a TV preacher’s warning of the “beat” that summons Satan, his Army stint, the “Colonel”, his romances (yes, Priscella’s there), and many other milestones. Plus, there’s a montage of his often silly (“See Elvis karate chop a tiger!”) later movies that prompted the big 1968 “comeback” TV special. But the real “meat” is the preparations for the big Vegas concert with several unlikely tunes that were considered. It’s interesting to hear the King’s take on a couple of Beatles tunes, along with a Simon and Garfunkel classic. And yes, he’s in excellent “voice”, this being some of his most polished vocal stylings. The rehearsals and preparation scenes build to the big Vegas opening, in which Elvis almost “reinvented” himself and began his new era of live-performance spectacles.

For some viewers, this new reworking of long-thought lost footage will reinforce their perception of this icon, while for the unfamilar much of this may be a revelation or a discovery. We see long hours in minimal facilities to tweak the sound, in order to go beyond the “flash and glitter”. Oh, but there is plenty of that, though. His gaudy, often loud fashion ensembles are on full display, making us think of how it’s the male peacock who attempts to dazzle the ladies. Dazzle is a restrained turn for Elvis’ magnetic appeal to the hordes of enraptured women fans of every age. He is their idealized lover, even if there’s a hint of danger. One great bit has Elvis zeroing in on one of his most prominent female backup singers, which inspires both fear and quivering desire. That’s just one of the scenes of his “clownin””, as we witness him cracking up over his persona. There’s a darkness to one of the “jokes” as Elvis inserts some drug references to one of his tunes, strange since he’d get a “drug buster badge” from then President Nixon less that a decade before he was felled by his addiction. Ah, but that feels like the distant future as we see the celeb-packed audience at that first Vegas concert. Why, he’s visited in his dressing room after the show by Sammy Davis, Jr. and Cary Grant! Oh, to be a fly on the wall to hear what they discussed, or at least to have better microphones trained on them. This is also an incredible time capsule of that time when beehive hairdos (or don’ts) ruled the skies, probably blocking a lot of the audience, who “dressed to impress”, perhaps to garner a glance or a quick smooch from their idol (he does love to wander through the smothering crowds). Yes, these are fun, happy snippets of kitsch, but there’s still some tragedy as Elvis mentions his interest in touring the world, though he would never venture beyond North America. My only complaint about Baz’s passion project is that some songs are cut short in order to avoid a long running time for the IMAX venues. Yes, I wanted more, but what’s there is really great. Oh, and don’t leave when the end credits begin. There’s a brief shot of E flanked by his “Memphis Mafia” as he briskly strolls down the hotel staff corridor past their cafeteria. In his bright blue jumpsuit, he looks like he popped in from Mount Olympus, making us wonder how this rock and roll deity existed on this planet with us. Sure, the music is still wonderful, but the whole mystique is what makes this time-traveling trip so memorable in the truly EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT. And yes, sadly, Elvis has left the building…

3.5 Out of 4

EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT is now playing exclusively on IMAX screens. It expands to theatres everywhere on Friday, February 27, 2026

THE TESTMENT OF ANN LEE – Review

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Amanda Siegfried gives a powerful and fearless performance in this drama based on the true story of Ann Lee, the founder of Shaker religious community in 1774 Colonial America. Director/co-writer Mona Fastvold’s historical drama THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE depicts both the life and legend of Ann Lee, the leading light of this religious movement in Britain and then the New World, a faith community known now mostly it’s creation of beautiful practical objects and its lovely hymns, but which also preached gender and social class equality, worshiped through dance and song, and embraced a celibate communal life.

Director Mona Fastvold was inspired to make this historical drama after hearing Shaker songs, and the film is a musical of sorts, with music inspired by Shaker hymns and choreography that recalls the Shakers’ wild religiously ecstatic, whole-body movement way of worship. The musical scenes are striking and integrated logically into the film as moments of worship, using traditional Shaker hymns for choreography by Celia Rowlson-Hall (Vox Lux) that re-imagines the rapturous movements of Shakers rather than strictly recreating them.

Director/co-writer Mona Fastvold and her film-making partner Brady Corbet are the creative team who made THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE, but they were also the creative pair behind last year’s THE BRUTALIST. While the architect character in that film was fictional, Ann Lee was a real person, a historical figure that Fastvold felt deserved more attention, a rare woman religious leader in the late 1700s who rose to head a religious following in England, and then established the religious community in America, just as the country was being born. Like the pair’s previous film, THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE features outstanding cinematography, great acting, and a moving story.

Fastvold leans into the myth and legend of Ann Lee rather than focusing only on facts, although the film is basically historically accurate, apart from a little time shifting for dramatic purposes.

However, it must be said that it is very helpful to already know something about the Shakers beyond that they made beautiful, elegant furniture and wrote a lovely hymn, “Simple Gifts,” that composer Aaron Copeland used in “Appalachian Spring.” The film is light on exposition, despite having a narrator, and really does not give much information on the Shakers until some title cards at the film’s end. Yes, it can be considered a flaw that the film assumes you know more about the Shakers, but a little advance research does enhance the viewing of this ambitious and worthwhile biographical film.

This true story is dramatic, but Amanda Siegfried gives a strikingly raw, no-holds-barred performance as this female religious leader, something very rare then. All this takes place during an era of new utopian religious communities, many of which were drawn to rural Colonial America. People who didn’t fit in to European societies were often drawn to these new faiths.

Thomasin McKenzie narrates, a bit in the style of a myth, the sometimes raw, unblinking, emotional biographical drama. It tells Ann Lee’s story in three parts, beginning with her impoverished childhood in grimy, rough Manchester. The film takes us through Ann Lee’s introduction to and then ascendancy in the British Quaker offshoot then known as the Shaking Quakers, and then to her founding of the Shaker community in Colonial America.

Ann was the second oldest of eight children. With their mother dead, their blacksmith father struggles to make a living, even with a second job as a tailor. Ann and the older children are expected to help out and earn extra cash with little tasks where they can. There is no money for education. Even as a child, Ann is deeply religious, and very close to her younger brother William, and offended and appalled by the sinfulness she see all around her in gritty Manchester.

In the film’s second part, Ann (Amanda Seyfried), now grown, is looking for something more life-changing than the Quaker faith of her family. Hearing about a new branch of the Quakers, called the “Shaking Quakers,” who embrace worshiping through shaking dance and chanting and have more radical beliefs about equality, she and her brother William (Lewis Pullman) seek them out. There they find a spiritual home, and new ideas. Ann also meets the man who became her husband Abraham Standerin (Christopher Abbott). With her fervent belief and charismatic personality, Ann Lee, despite being illiterate, rises in the congregation to become its leader.

In the third part, Ann’s bold, and loud, public worship makes her a target of British authorities, which lands her in jail and an asylum. The persecution ultimately leads her to decide, 1774, to move to Colonial America, along with a group of followers, to establish a utopian Shaker community in rural New York. Meanwhile, after losing all four of her children in birth or shortly after, Ann at the same time concludes that God is telling her that sex is the Original Sin, which leads her proclaim that and tell her followers that renouncing it is the only path to salvation.

This third portion of the film focuses on Ann after this point and as she establishes their utopian Shaker community in pre-Revolutionary, and then Revolutionary, America.

One of the most striking aspects of this film is Amanda Seyfried’s wild, fierce, fearless performance. Be warned that some scenes are unblinkingly, harshly realistic or even, with the birth scenes, bordering on graphic. Another striking aspect are the highly-choreographed singing and dancing sequences. They represent the Shaker’s form of worship, but are certainly not an authentic depiction, although they are beautiful and moving. Yet another aspect to note is the filmmaker’s embrace of myth and tales of Ann Lee almost on an equal footing with the known facts about her, although it mostly follows those.

Still, this is a remarkable film, notable for its visual beauty, remarkable cinematography and powerful performances, making it a film worthy of your time as it throws a spotlight on this too-little known female leader of a religious movement.

THE TESTMENT OF ANN LEE opens in theaters on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

SONG SUNG BLUE – Review

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(L to R) Hugh Jackman as Mike Sardina and Kate Hudson as Claire Stengl in director Craig Brewer’s SONG SUNG BLUE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2025 All Rights Reserved.

So who’s up for some great tunes on this big holiday…, at the multiplex? No, we’re not talking about any Christmas carols (you’re probably hearing those jingle bells in your sleep by now). We’re talking a full-fledged musical movie, though it’s not another bold brassy big-screen version of a stage musical in the wake of WICKED: FOR GOOD (though it’s really an expanding of its second act). This new release may be more in that subgenre of the “jukebox musical” as it focuses on the pop songs of an iconic star, although it’s not a biopic of him (much like ELVIS or ROCKETMAN). You see, this is a true life dramatic love story about a “tribute band” of that singing superstar. Sounds confusing? It’ll all be clear with the first few notes (and scenes) of SONG SUNG BLUE.

That title tune is heard in the opening scene, in which Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman) serenades his AA support group after he has hit a big sobriety milestone in late 1980s Milwaukee. From there he’s off to his sweet “side gig” as part of a “tributes” show at the state fair. Mike walks out after the organizer insists that he take on the songs of Don Ho (“Tiny Bubbles”). No, Mike wants to perform the works of his idol, Neil Diamond. As he exits, Mike stops to catch the fetching Patsy Cline (“Walkin’ After Midnight”) songstress Claire Stingl (Kate Hudson). He strikes up a conversation with her later that night, leading to a date for the two divorced parents (Mike’s teenage daughter visits once a month or so). He tries to bond with Claire’s energetic pre-teen son Dayna (Hudson Hensley) and her somewhat surly teenage daughter Rachel (Ella Anderson). After a quick “jam session” Mike asks Claire if she would consider partnering with him for his “dream Diamond tribute review” that he dubs “Thunder and Lightning” (the latter being his stage persona while she’d be the former). Claire is thrilled and seals their partnership with a kiss. They assemble a back-up band and begin performing in bars, wedding halls, and eateries in the Wisconsin/Illinois area. Through it all, the two become much more than a singing duo, eventually tying the knot. Their reputation is on the rise, leading to an “opening act” slot at a Pearl Jam concert. The sky seems to be the limit, but the joyful music is almost silenced as fate hits several “sour notes” to challenge their sweet harmonies.

I’ll just get this out of the way: Jackman and Hudson are superb singers. Yeah, that’s not a big revelation, since Hugh has a couple of Tonys on his mantle and Kate cut an album (they still call them that) last year. But that skill is certainly essential in these roles in order to “sell” them as a vocal duet. As for the other aspects of their performances, Jackman may have a bit more to do, as Mike is the “entry point” to this true tale. The “movie mutant” has swagger to spare, as he pushes past the goofy hairstyle and the flashy fashions to give us a man who overtakes the inner demons from his past by reinventing himself. His furrowed brow hints at Mike’s PTSD from serving in Nam, while he still has a vulnerability with the knowledge that his body is failing him and his “time clock” may halt at any time. The bubbly Hudson brings out the best in him. Beneath that beaming smile, Claire has had lots of heartbreak in his own past, and decides to bask in the high she gets from singing. In the story’s second act, we see that life tries to snuff out that spark, until family and friends re-ignite it. It’s no wonder Hudson was the “queen of rom-coms” as she conveys Claire’s joy in getting another chance at love. The film’s other great standout is Anderson as Claire’s teen daughter, Rachel. Sure, she starts as a clichéd snarky “eye-roller”, but she shows how the love of Mike for her mom warms that cynical heart, even making her an ally of his when things get tough, and as she faces her own big life-changing decision. Oh, and there are a couple of 1980s movie stalwarts on hand for support. Fisher Stevens is solid as Mike’s dentist-backer, and Jim Belushi goes all “cheese-head” (right outta’ FARGO) as the tour bus-drivin’ manager. The 90s are repped by Michael Imperioli from “The Sopranos” as the tributes show boss (and resident Buddy Holly) who plays back-up guitar for the revue.


Though no stranger to movies with music, this film is an interesting detour for director/ screenwriter (adapting the same-titled documentary by Greg Kohs) Craig Brewer, after making his 2005 breakout hit, the hip-hop-flavored HUSTLE AND FLOW followed by the 2011 remake of FOOTLOOSE. He takes us past the high camp (exploited in 2001’s SAVING SILVERMAN) of Diamond’s 70s heyday, though we get some Elvis-style kitsch, to get us into the minds and hearts of Mike and Claire. This lulls us into thinking that their love story will always prevail. The huge chaotic challenges make for an abrupt shift (though it seems too extreme, it’s all true), one that may be too much for some viewers, Brewer never veers too much into the melodramatic while keeping the story firmly planted in its frigid northern US roots. Brewer also keeps the pacing smooth, breaking up the dialogue with a burst of song, and not overdoing the big rehearsing and performing montages. Aside from those great hairstyles and fashions, the music selection is pretty terrific, touching on all the big Diamond hits while introducing some often neglected tunes (I now know a whole lot about “Soolaimon”). Hey, there’s even a couple of Patsy Cline and Buddy Holly classics. And the set decorators really capture the tone of the early 1990s. Some of the more jaded filmgoers may think that this is merely a sweet little flick to see with your older relatives, but they may be surprised by the endearing look at the performers that don’t fill arenas, the bus-travelin’ workin’ stiff weekend warriors. That and the chemistry of Hudson and Jackman really blend for a nearly pitch-perfect romance in SONG SUNG BLUE.

3 Out of 4

SONG SUNG BLUE opens in theatres everywhere on Christmas Day, 2025

BETTER MAN – Review

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Jonno Davies as “Robbie Williams” in BETTER MAN from Paramount Pictures

Does BETTER MAN make a monkey out of British musician Robbie Williams? Well, no, but it does make an ape, specifically a chimp, out of the one-time member of British boy-band Take That, a singing star who achieved greater fame in a successful solo career.

Actually, the “monkey man” (ape, really) idea was Robbie Williams’ own. And that motion-capture creation works better in this biopic than you expect, helping emphasize Williams’ own feeling of being a misfit in the world, as well as helping us spot the character, the only ape one, in any crowd. Plus it means Jonno Davies, who plays the motion-capture young Robbie Williams, does not actually have to look like him.

Don’t know the name Robbie Williams? It doesn’t matter, if you are a fan or even unfamiliar with the singer’s career, because this biopic is so well-told as a story by director Michael Gracey (THE GREATEST SHOWMAN) that you still can become drawn in to its emotional arc. The tale follows Robbie from childhood to youthful ambition to young adult success, as he is driven to pursue the musical dreams his instilled by his absent father, while haunted by his broken relationship with that charismatic, elusive father. That story arc gives the film more of an Everyman quality, especially for anyone who has had a difficult relationship with a parent, although the film still follows the usual rise-and-fall-and-rise-again pattern of other music biopics.

You would think that making the lead character into a young chimp would be so distracting that viewers would never become fully immersed in the story. In fact, the opposite effect takes hold, once you get used to seeing it, and it gives the film both a kind-of perfect weirdness, plus a touch of humor, that boosts it above ordinary biopic.

Making him a chimp is a good choice works, due to audiences’ prior experiences with all those motion-capture apes in the PLANET OF THE APES movies (and even Gollum in the LORD OF THE RINGS films). In those, we spent hours with motion-capture chimps on screen. Here, Robbie Williams, played by Jonno Davies, is the only chimp on screen (and always a young chimp, who look closer to human), an effect that externalizes his inner feelings of being different, being out of place, from childhood through adulthood.

Because the chimp-human motion capture effect is so familiar, we get comfortable with it sooner than expected. It works better than another music biopic, where Pharrell Williams’ story is told in a Lego animation. Motion-capture allows us to see the play of emotion on the main character’s face, unlike the mainly-frozen Lego faces. Plus Robbie’s motion-capture chimp is the only one we have to deal with rather than a whole world of them.

The motion-capture technology now is so advanced that we lose none of Jonno Davies’ expressive acting as Robbie Williams, and in fact, it most likely is enhanced by the special effects. Davies’ Robbie is always a young chimp (who look more human-like anyway) but he starts out as a younger chimp, with Asmara Feik playing Robbie as a child. As always, the motion-capture work creates more of a human-chimp hybrid than a true chimp, and particularly the green-hazel eyes remain human. That helps emphasize facial expressions and emotions, but director Michael Gracey wisely keep out of any uncomfortable “uncanny valley” territory.

Of course, some will still find the ape-human FX distracting or even irritating. And, in many ways, BETTER MAN is a conventional musician biopic, following the usual rise-and-fall-and-rise-again pattern. But the use of motion-capture effects makes it unique at least in that respect, and the fact that director Gracey handles this material very well, keeping the pacing right and the focus on the personal side of the story, of a man haunted by an elusive parent. The combination of the music biopic with the emotional personal parental story and fine, affecting performances make this drama surprisingly engrossing.

Jonno Davies is outstanding as Robbie Williams, capturing an energy and personal charisma at the various points in his life, despite the special effects filter, and creating a very watchable performance in the musical numbers. Asmara Feik plays Robbie Williams well as a gawking kid, while Jonno Davies takes over as Robbie grows into an ambitious, smart-mouthed street-wise young teen, a teen performer thrust into the boy band fame crush, and then as a surprisingly elegant young man (in chimp form, no small feat), as a star at fame’s peak. Further, the film is aided by a fine supporting cast, including Alison Steadman as young Robbie’s emotional rock Betty, Raechelle Banno as his young love interest Nicole Appleton, and particularly Steve Pemberton as Robbie’s charismatic, manipulative, unreliable father Peter.

The combination of polished visual effects, strong storytelling and a compelling performance, musically and acting, by Jonno Davies and strong supporting cast, all make BETTER MAN a better drama than one expects from a musician biopic, with an interesting visual FX twist.

BETTER MAN opens Friday, Jan. 10, in theaters.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

PIECE BY PIECE – Review

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Here’s a challenge for even the most respected and revered documentarians: how do you make your film different than the usual profile/biography? Mind you, there have already been some exceptional showbiz docs this year with SUPER/MAN and FAYE. Not to mention the two-part four-hour look at Steve Martin made by this film’s director, Morgan Neville. Is there a fresh way to present the “talking heads” interviews, the “reanactments”, and the archival footage? How about animation, much like the recently lauded FLEE? That’s a start, but should it be standard hand-drawn 2-D, or the molded CGI? Yes to the latter, but do it in the Lego brick style since Warner’s let their license lapse. This gives the title a double meaning as Neville examines the life and career of Pharrell Williams, step by step, or rather PIECE BY PIECE.


After a brief opening sequence of the film’s subject playing with his wife and children, Williams is whisked away to a section of his home where Neville and his crew are setting up for an interview shoot. Neville is stunned when Williams shares his epiphany that his life should be “Lego-animated”. The story then shifts several decades in the past, as we see Pharrell as a fun-loving boy growing up in a housing project in Virginia Beach, VA. With the ocean nearby and a big Posiedon statue towering over it, and living in the Atlantis apartments, Williams believes that there was “something in the water”. Perhaps that’s why he saw colors when looking into the speakers of his “boom box”. Ditto when he enjoyed the church choir with her adored grandmother. It seemed inevitable he’d form a band with some of his pals. Williams and BFF Chad Hugo were the driving force behind the Neptunes (another water riff). Their hopes rose when a big music producer opened a big recording studio. After being spotted at the local school’s talent show, the Neptunes became part of the studio crew, going from errand work (getting coffee, etc.) to making music suggestions. From there they tried getting the NYC labels interested. Eventually, they got some airplay near their hometown and were soon collaborating with Pusha-T, N.O.R.E., Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Timbaland, and Busta Rhymes. Soon he and Chad were major producers garnering awards and working with the best of the biz including Justin Timberlake, Daft Punk, and Jay-Z. After marrying and starting a family, Williams yearns to express his only musical voice. And with the “Happy” help of Gru and his Minions, it all “clicks”…

So yes, it does give a new energy and sparkle to the old documentary tropes. There’s a playful quality to everything, particularly in the sequences set in the old Virginia Beach hometown as people frolic (on foot, bikes, and skateboards) in the bright sun as the Blue Angels fly overhead. A satiric element is added in the later scenes involving other music superstars, especially Snoop Dogg as they’re surrounded by mist emitting from a spray bottle labeled “PG haze”. It’s also fun to see the Lego logo in the ocean foam as a fish breaks the surface. I had seen a CBS Sunday Morning profile of Williams a few days ago, so I was a bit surprised that the story stopped short of his recent foray into fashion, which might have inspired more clever brick recreations. The colors are dazzling and the visuals are inventive (drops of water and chicken nuggets are plastic smooth hoops), but the story’s throughline feels a tad rote (I did this which led to this and this and…). It offers some good life lessons for kids, with a great montage of Williams literally bouncing off the walls of the offices of stunned studio execs, but older folks may be confused by some similar design choices and the constant music biz “name drops”. This radical mesh of movie styles is a noble experiment, which could yield moviegoers a new slate of biopics that build on the cinematic potential shown in PIECE BY PIECE.

2.5 Out of 4

PIECE BY PIECE is now playing in theatres everywhere

BETWEEN THE TEMPLES – Review

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Jason Schwartzman as Ben and Carol Kane as Carla, in Nathan Silver’s dark humor yet sweet Jewish comedy BETWEEN THE TEMPLES. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Jason Schwartzman plays a cantor who has lost his singing voice, his wife and maybe even hope, whose life is changed when his grade-school music teacher, played by Carol Kane, becomes his adult bat mitzvah student, in Nathan Silver’s offbeat, darkly funny but sweet Jewish comedy BETWEEN THE TEMPLES.

After the sudden death of his wife, Ben Gottlieb (Jason Schwartzman) has lost his singing voice, his enjoyment of life, and even, maybe, his faith. Unable to bear living in the house he shared with his late wife Ruth, Ben now lives with his doting artist mother Meira (Caroline Aaron) and his overeager, real estate agent stepmother Judith (Dolly de Leon) in the basement of their big home. Rabbi Bruce (Robert Smigel), still keeps Ben’s position as the cantor at his family’s Reform Jewish synagogue, Temple Sinai, open for him, and is encouraging.

But after a year of mourning, his rabbi, his mother and his stepmother are all ready for Ben to move on with his life, and rejoin community life. Hoping to help, Rabbi Bruce pushes Ben to resume his singing as cantor at the next Shabbat service. Meanwhile, his stepmother Judith encourages Ben to begin dating – with some dates already waiting just out of sight as soon as he concedes it might be a good idea.

But the cantor isn’t ready, and can’t handle either. Despondent after the disastrous performance at the synagogue, Ben even lays down in the middle of a road, in front of an oncoming 18-wheeler. When the truck driver sees him and brakes, Ben urges him to “keep going,” to run over him anyway. Instead the driver gives the cantor a ride to a bar, when Ben takes refuge and quickly picks a fight with someone who looks his way, and gets punched. A quirky older woman comes to his rescue, helping up from the floor, a woman the cantor soon recognizes as his grade school vocal teacher Mrs. O’Connor (Carol Kane), the person who inspired him to have a career in music and become a cantor. The two seem to connect immediately, offering the first ray of light in Ben’s dark world in a long time.

But when the retired music teacher turns up the next day at Ben’s temple things take a strange turn. She arrives as Ben is teaching the bar/bat mitzvah class, the only thing Ben has managed to continue doing for the synagogue. Mrs. O’Connor announces that despite her Irish married name, she’s Jewish and her maiden name was Carla Kessler. Now a widow, Carla Kessler has gone back to her Jewish maiden name, and she wants to have the bat mitzvah she never had as a girl. She never had one, she explains, because her parents were communists, making her a “red diaper baby.” Growing up in a Jewish neighborhood, she was surrounded at 13 by other children having bar and bat mitzvahs but she knew neither her parents nor the temple would even let her have one. Now the retired teacher wanted to do just that.

Although Ben was pleased to reconnect with his childhood music teacher, Ben doesn’t want to take her on as a bat mitzvah student, and tells her it is “too late” for her. Angered at being told she’s too old, she persists, chasing and hounding Ben, and when Rabbi Bruce intervenes and Ben gives in.

Rather than have Carla join his class of young students, Ben starts coaching Carla for her bat mitzvah one-on-one in his office. The process is supposed to take a year, during which she learns Hebrew and memorizes a Torah portion that corresponds to her birthday month. The two begin to share memories of her music classes way back when. Eventually the lessons move to her nearby home, and Carla also starts to coach Ben in breathing exercises to recover his singing voice. They trade off the role of teacher, and each gives the other support neither gets elsewhere. Ben teaches Carla, encouraging her Hebrew pronunciation, and Carla becomes his encouraging teacher again, as well as a kind of mother figure and a best friend who truly gets him.

BETWEEN THE TEMPLES debuted at Sundance to strong reviews. Director/co-writer Nathan Silver’s films are known for their sharp, witty humor but also for their emotion and heart. That humor is present here in abundance but the film also has a strange sweetness too in the scenes between Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane. Those scenes are the real moments of magic, with a charm and appealing quirk reminiscent of “Harold and Maude.” The film also has good doses of screwball comedy, particularly in the scenes with family, as well as some serious things to say, behind it all. Things may look conventional on the surface but little is underneath.

While Ben and Carla are teaching and learning from each other, stepmother Judith continues arranging dates for Ben with “nice Jewish girls,” sometimes without telling Ben or even checking much on the girls. Meanwhile, Rabbi Bruce wants to introduce Ben to his daughter Gabby, who has recently gone through a broken engagement and will be back in town soon.

There is an undercurrent of poking fun at expectations. Ben keeps kosher and his faith means a lot to him, so his rabbi and stepmother would like to fix him up with a nice Jewish girl – a traditional match. But plenty is not traditional in his life, like his two mothers. His childhood music teacher, Mrs. O’Connor, turns out to be Jewish, and Carla Kessler becomes his adult bat mitzvah student, but she doesn’t even know what’s kosher. At one point, Ben even wanders into a Christian church, and engages in an offbeat, dryly funny chat with the priest, even asking if he, Ben, started believing in heaven, would his late wife join him there. “You might check with the Mormons for that,” the priest replies. It’s clever but respectful.

Jewish mothers play a big role in the film and how it came about. Carol Kane has said in interviews that she partly based her character on her mother, a vocal music teacher who re-invented her life after being widowed in mid-life. Director Nathan Silver has said he was inspired to make the movie after his mother Cindy Silver enrolled in classes for her adult bat mitzvah, something she never had as a “red diaper baby” like Carla.

Carol Kane and Jason Schwartzman have wonderful chemistry together. There is sweetness that is hard to describe and equally hard to resist, as they form an island of simplicity in the churning sea of complexity from both their families. Carol Kane is a delight in this role, giving a winning performance. Jason Schwartzman plays against his usual handsome leading man type in Wes Anderson films, by playing a slubby fellow, a bit gone to seed, with little purpose in life. It is the kind of role we are more likely to expect from Steve Carell but Schwartzman pulls it off very well. All the supporting players are wonderful as well, particularly Robert Smigel as Rabbi Bruce, delivering lines with deadpan humor.

BETWEEN THE TEMPLES is an offbeat comedy about Jewish identity that takes some odd turns but offers a surprising sweetness in the scenes between the two main characters, along with a strange yet somehow satisfying ending.

BETWEEN THE TEMPLES opens Friday, Aug. 23, at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinema and nationwide, and on Friday, Aug. 30, at the Hi-Pointe Theater.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

BACK TO BLACK – Review

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Marisa Abela stars as Amy Winehouse in director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s BACK TO BLACK, a Focus Features release. Credit: Olli Upton/Focus Features

Talented singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse’s tragic life was already the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary, AMY in 2015, made a few years after her death in 2011at age 27 from alcohol poisoning. So my first reaction on hearing of the biopic drama BACK TO BLACK was to wonder if we needed another Amy Winehouse movie. The excellent 2015 documentary seems to have have told her story well and thoroughly, but reportedly the Winehouse family was unhappy with it. However, the family granted permission to the filmmakers of this new biopic drama, BACK TO BLACK, with access to materials and song use.

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson and writer Matt Greenhalgh previously collaborated on another music biopic, NOWHERE BOY, a fine drama about the childhood of John Lennon. The filmmakers assert that the Winehouse family had no say on the final film but the family does come across in a more positive light in this drama and they also have a more prominent role than in the 2015 Oscar-winning documentary.

BACK TO BLACK follows the familiar rise and fall pattern of biopics of other gifted but tragic musicians but does feature some nice acting performances and a chance to hear her songs again. It starts out with young Amy (Marisa Abela) on the verge of her fame, surrounded by her loving, working-class, Jewish family in the Southgate section of London. Amy is talented, and ambitious, and encouraged by her beloved paternal grandmother Nan (Leslie Manville), a still-cool, stylish, former jazz singer, who influenced Amy’s love of jazz and her ’50s-’60s fashion style of beehives, heavy eyeliner, and tight retro dresses. Amy is also funny, strong-willed, out-spoken, hot-tempered and driven. She also already has a big drinking problem.

First off, it is important to mention that the documentary is the much better film, and you will learn much more about the talented but self-destruction Amy Winehouse from it than this biopic. BACK TO BLACK often assumes the audience knows things about Amy Winehouse and her life that they may not, such as her struggles with bulimia, which makes for some confusing or even misleading scenes.

That said, Marisa Abela does a fine job portraying Winehouse, capturing her mannerisms, accent and assertive yet funny persona. The same is also true of the wonderful Lesley Manville as her beloved grandmother Cynthia, whom Amy calls Nan. Eddie Marsan is also very good as her father Mitch, along with Jack O’Connell as Amy’s charismatic, handsome but toxic husband Blake. Juliet Cowan plays Amy’s mother Janis Winehouse, a pharmacist suffering from multiple sclerosis, who raised Amy after separating from her father, and Sam Buchanan as Nick Shymansky, Amy’s friend her became her first manager, but the bulk of the narrative is carried by those first four characters.

The best parts of BACK TO BLACK are the cast’s performances and the chance to hear some of Amy Winehouse’s hit songs. However, the drama assumes that audiences know some things about Winehouse that they may not, and if you want to really learn about Amy Winehouse’s life and career, that Oscar-winning documentary is still the better choice. But you do get more of a feel for her family life and growing up Jewish in London’s Southgate in BACK TO BLACK.

Abela does her own singing and while she does well enough, she is an actress, not a singer, and certainly does not have Amy Winehouse’s distinctive, golden voice. Still, Abela does her best to sing in Winehouse’s style, and is at her most convincing singing the signature “Back to Black.” However, it would have better to have used Amy Winehouse’s real voice, instead of following this craze of actors playing famous singer doing their own singing, often with mixed results, and depriving fans of hearing the real star’s voice, the thing that made them famous.

Abela tries to capture Winehouse’s singing style, and does pretty well, but she is better in capturing Winehouse’s speaking voice, her mannerisms, and gives a convincing and touching portrayal of this funny, demanding, and fascinating talented woman who knew what she wanted and had a deep knowledge and love of jazz.

Lesley Manville is marvelous as Amy’s beloved grandmother Cynthia, a jazz singer who dressed stylishly and influenced Amy’s style and encouraged her musical interest from a young age. The film captures how Winehouse adored her paternal grandmother, whom she called Nan, and depicts Amy as she gets her tattoo paying tribute to her. The other delightful performance is from Eddie Marsan as Amy’s taxi-driver dad Mitch, who had a close loving relationship with his daughter but didn’t always make decisions in her best interests. As Amy’s career soars, dad Mitch is more of an ever-present figure, while mom Janice virtually disappears until late in the film. Mitch had a strong influence and worked closely with his daughter as her career took off, but was not always as good an influence.

Audiences may have some confusion over the relationship between Mitch and Cynthia, as Manville is only 12 years older than Marsan, and they look about the same age. It is easy to assume they are siblings rather than mother and son, and the drama does nothing to clarify this situation, one of the drama’s several problems.

The drama gives a little nod, although not enough, to Winehouse’s skill as a songwriter, and accurately depicts her as a perfectionist in her work, at least until drinking and drugging took their toll. While the bulimia is not directly mentioned until the end, the drama does a better job with her alcoholism, Even before her career really launches, Amy has already had a serious drinking problem, including incidents of seizures. A later scene depicts a confrontation with her manager about going to rehab, with her father siding with his daughter after she promises to cut back, something echoed in the lyrics of her song “Rehab.”

The film is stronger and more focused overall in its first half. The drama starts out fairly well, although it focuses more on Amy’s personal and family life than her career and work. However, it makes a turn into a doomed romance story after Amy meets her future husband Blake Fielder-Civil. The turning point comes after a strong, emotionally powerful sequence where Amy meets Blake. Those scenes are very good, with strong romantic chemistry between Abel and O’Connell, laying the groundwork for the obsessive, toxic love affair that follows. But once Amy falls for Blake, the film becomes increasingly disorganized, jumping around in time and failing to explain several things that pop up. There is a scene where the hard-drinking Amy discovers her new love’s drug problem and firmly rejects and even condemns drug use, yet in almost the next scene, we see Amy buying her own drugs, without Blake, leaving us puzzled as to what happened in between. The film continues to deteriorate in that fashion, ans once Manville’s Nan dies, both Amy and this drama go off the rails, morphing into a film about the toxic romance rather than her music, with Amy repeatedly talk about her longings to be a wife and mother.

Whether Blake was the real villain in Amy Winehouse’s life or not is another matter, as it seems more likely a combination of factors, including Amy’s self-destructive behavior, the loss of a strong hand to steady her with the death of her grandmother Cynthia (reportedly the only person she would listen to when she was out-of-control), a shark-like media, family and friends who failed to intervene to protect or help her, and her drug-addicted husband. But in this drama, the major blame is placed on a drug-addict husband who wanted to hitch his wagon to her rising star.

Although there are a few nice concert scenes after the biopic switches to toxic romance, the film continues to unravel, with several scenes that leave the audience confused about what is going on with the singer. While someone might argue that the film’s narrative falling apart might be meant to mirror Winehouse’s increasingly chaotic life, that explanation doesn’t really hold up. The film continues as a confusing mess until fizzles to a weak ending, with Amy walking away from the camera and seeming on the way to recovery, followed by a black screen and texts telling us of her death from alcohol poisoning at age 27. Then instead of just going to black, there is another scenes with Abela, instead of footage of the actual Amy, saying all she wanted to do was entertain with her songs.

Again, despite the strong performances and warm early scenes with family, you will not really learn much about Amy Winehouse in this biopic drama. Again, the 2015 documentary AMY is the better choice, and a better film overall, where you will learn much more about the massively talented but self-destructive Amy Winehouse.

BACK TO BLACK opens Friday, May 17, in theaters.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars