The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021)
Genre: Music / Biography
Duration: 130 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Lee Daniels
Stars: Andra Day, Trevante Rhodes and Garrett Hedlund
IMDb score:
6,3 (15.685)
Releasedate: 31 March 2021
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
The United States vs. Billie Holiday plot
"Her voice would not be silenced."
Billie Holiday is a successful singer who does not fail to release politically oriented songs such as 'Strange Fruit'. As a result, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics opens the hunt for her. This one wants to sue Holiday for drug offences. An undercover operation is set up led by officer Jimmy Fletcher. The two begin an affair.
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Actors and actresses
Billie Holiday
Jimmy Fletcher
Harry Anslinger
Reginald Lord Devine
Miss Freddy
Mrs. Fletcher
Tallulah Bankhead
Louis McKay
Roslyn
Agent Williams
Reviews & comments
BBarbie
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- 12893 messages
- 7675 votes
Nice biopic about the turbulent life of the legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday. A film that really belongs in the current BLM era. Andra Day is doing well, but nevertheless I remember that I Lady Sings the Blues from 1972 with Diana Ross in the title role was a better film at the time found. I'll check that again soon.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Film Pegasus (moderator films)
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- 31191 messages
- 5473 votes
This film about Billie Holiday is not just another biopic about a famous star. At the same time, it focuses on a number of social themes such as racial discrimination, the lynchings of black Americans and the war on drugs. In any case, the film is highly recommended in terms of subject matter. In addition, actress Andra Day stars in her real-life film debut (after an extra role and a voice role) as Billie Holiday. She has already won a few film awards and will win a few more.
Thanks to the theme and the interpretation of Day, it has become a good film, because the film unfortunately lacks some depth and outside of Day it is quite mediocre in terms of acting. The film is nicely decorated, but apart from some so-called archive footage, it is not very creative. The film will unfortunately fall into oblivion (it is not really noticeable now) so that it cannot match the charge that Strange Fruit once had (and still reverberates). If that was the intention, it didn't work out well. As a biopic about Billie Holiday, it has been made into something and it is more than just her songs.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Boneka
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- 2753 messages
- 1404 votes
After seeing The United States vs Billie Holiday, despite all the criticism (also here), I found the film quite worthwhile. The writer does not want to call it a biography because most of it has not been written down. But to dismiss the film as a completely made-up story is really going too far. In fact, if I read all the documents again, about 60% of the story is correct. In any case, a lot better than the rather flopped Elvis recently. A lot of things are just right in the film right up to her deathbed. It's a real scandal how the FBI treated her here right down to the mug shot while she was dying. Really not done. The movie is easy to follow and didn't really find anything annoying. Nor the songs, although I am not a fan of Jazz. Moreover, I thought Andra Day played Billie Holiday excellently, not an undeserving singer herself with that typical cracking sound as with many dark singers. Whether or not of the drugs that is also partly determined by this. Actually found her life on that of the police after having parallels with Amy Winehouse. Although she died at the age of 27. Billie lasted until she was 44. What is also very worthy of mention is how Andra exposes herself to all nude scenes. Thought she was very thin, but also read that she went on an extreme diet to resemble Billie Holiday as much as possible. The abuse of power by men is once again revealed here. An old fact, but still.
Fortunately, the main role here lies with Billie Holiday and not with an eoa lounge manager as in the movie Elvis.
In short, even after reading many stories. Is The United States vs. Billie Holiday a true story, I am a bit impressed by her partial life, which in my opinion is beautifully depicted.
Movie 3.5
Picture 4.0
Sound 4.0
Translated from Dutch · View original
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