Amy Winehouse's ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil has spoken out about the new Back to Black biopic, which dropped in the U.K. on Friday, April 12.
He told Good Morning Britain the movie was "almost therapeutic" for him because it was "a more accurate representation" of his relationship with the legendary singer.
"Not in a sense of being let off the hook or whitewashed, as [has] been alluded to," Fielder-Civil said. "Just in a sense of it wasn’t all about addiction."
The film dropped in the U.K. on Friday, April 12.
Some have criticized the film and its director Sam Taylor-Johnson for depicting him as Winehouse's "Disney prince," but that's now how Fielder-Civil sees it.
"As much as that might have been the salacious headlines, and the paparazzi’s goal, there was addiction, but it was only an aspect," he said. "The relationship started like every relationship does."
The couple met in a pub in 2005 and got married two years later. They eventually got divorced, but still saw each other until Winehouse's death from alcohol poisoning in 2011. She was just 27 at the time.
Fielder-Civil added that Taylor-Johnson came to visit him ahead of the film's release: "Not asking for any notes or anything, just out of respect."
The director has previously said that "paparazzi and addiction" are the villains of Back to Black, not Fielder-Civil.
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Winehouse's ex-husband hopes that the singer's father Mitch will have a better understanding of their relationship after seeing the film.
"I hope that he would see that there was genuinely love there, I love Amy," he said. "And she loved me too. If there was anything that could bring her back, I would, obviously."
Mitch and Winehouse's family were not involved with the new film.
Nick Cave and his frequent collaborator Warren Ellis just released a new track called "Song For Amy." The delicate orchestral song plays over the film's opening credits.
"You say that it’s time for us to call it a day," Cave sings over the composition. "But I will love you anyway."
The film is centered on Winehouse's life in London. It begins with her teenage years and follows the star (portrayed by Marisa Abela) on her calamitous rise to fame.
'If there was anything that could bring her back,' Fielder-Civil said.
Back to Black is named after Winehouse's 2006 album produced by her mentor Mark Ronson, but the music industry veteran doesn't make an appearance in the film.
Last month, Canadian actor Jeff Tunke claimed he was hired to play Ronson and shot several scenes that were eventually scrapped.
"I got to wear his jacket and work with director Sam Taylor-Johnson, which was lovely," Tunke said while confirming the details of the situation to the Daily Mail.
The film's team sent back a brief explanation: "The character of Mark Ronson has never appeared on screen in the film, so it would not have been possible to 'cut all the scenes' involving Mark Ronson as they do not exist."
The producer has no connection to the film, but earlier this year Ronson said he was given an opportunity to read the script.
"I was reminded of [Winehouse’s] humor and it really caught that well," he told NME. "I think she just had this whip-smart razor sense of humor which is one of her many gifts and they got that very nice in the film. I’m looking forward to seeing it."
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