Before we talk about the Amy Winehouse biopic “Back to Black” it’s important that we all understand the definition of the word “formulaic.” (For those paying attention, no, this is not an encouraging way to begin a movie review.)
Lots of movies adhere to one storytelling formula or another, and there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with that. A formula is just a framework of familiar dramatic elements which many movies adhere to because those elements are usually satisfying. This is how we get genres and subgenres. Fans of romantic comedies, underdog sports movies and found footage horror flicks walk into their theater knowing what they’re going to get.