Andra Day as Billie Holiday, photo courtesy of Live For Live Music. com
There have been numerous films about the life and times of legendary jazz musician Billie Holiday, but none quite like UNITED STATES vs BILLIE HOLIDAY that gives its audience an unflinching look at who and what she was, not just what did. It’s not sensationalized nor unrealistically dramatized, it’s just her life in all of its beauty, pain, bad decisions, betrayals, addictions, and loves, all of which were deeply intertwined within each other. The film begins around the time Billie’s career was in full swing after Strange Fruit became not only a hit among her fans but a perceived threat to all levels of government for its vivid depiction of the lynching of African Americans. An FBI commissioner by the name of Harry J. Anslinger (played by Garrett Hedlund) had an especially vile hatred of Billie and her influence on the public and was given free rein to intimidate, harass, and eventually frame Billie Holiday for drug possession from which she received a year in jail. Once out though, Billie Holiday’s career came back stronger than ever. Unfortunately so did her demons.
Trevante Rhodes as Agent Jimmy Fletcher and Andra Aday as Billie Holiday
Billie’s troubles with the law didn’t just involve drugs and songs, but with men as well, including FBI agent Jimmy Fletcher who was responsible for her first round of incarceration and who was also deeply in love with the singer which was the perfect mix of toxic emotional baggage that Holiday just couldn’t say no to. While Agent Fletcher kept Anslinger informed of Holiday’s activities, Anslinger also had a steady stream of relationship-based informants coming and going through Billie’s life whose sole purpose was to try to control and eventually break her physically, psychologically, and financially. To the bitter end Holiday never stopped singing, never stopped speaking out. She died, alone, handcuffed to a hospital bed under arrest for suspicion of drug use but her music and legacy survived, even outlived, Anslinger’s campaign of hate.
UNITED STATES vs BILLIE HOLIDAY (streaming February 26th on Hulu) is a visually spectacular work that weaves dynamic storytelling, compelling characters, artistic flashbacks, and in-the-moment shots into a fluid piece of entertainment that offers another look into the unrepentant life of Lady Day.
For more information, including the official trailer and show artwork, please visit Hulu’s right here website
For more information on the cast, crew, and more you can visit the US vs BH IMDb right here