by Conan Simmons – February 26, 2021 – 7:05 am
The new Lee Daniels film, ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’ uses the song “Strange Fruit” as the focal point for this Golden Globe nominated musical biopic.
The film opens with Billie Holiday, played by Andra Day, giving an interview to a journalist, played by popular character actor Leslie Jordan, as he questions her about why the FBI prevents her from singing the song “Strange Fruit”. Flashing back several years to 1947, Holiday mostly argues with her manager and club owners about wanting to perform the song. At a show where policemen ominously stand in a line behind the audience, Holiday begins to sing the song and the policemen promptly shut down the concert.
Backstage a seemingly adoring fan turns out to be Jimmy Fletcher, the undercover agent (played by Trevante Rhodes) who busts Holiday on drug charges and eventually becomes her romantic partner. Jimmy Fletcher is ordered by Commissioner Harry J. Anslinger (played by Garrett Hedlund) to stay on the case of Billie Holiday which leads him to become part of her entourage as she tours across the country.
Holiday’s music fills the film and the song “Strange Fruit” remains central to the plot clear through. The screenplay by Suzan-Lori Parks is based on the book “Chasing the Scream” by Johann Hari. Parks’ script stays focused on the effect that not performing the song has on Holiday, suggesting it may be at least part of the reason for her substance abuse. The script isn’t perfect, as Hedlund’s Anslinger comes across as a two dimensional villain with no personality other than pure racism, but where the script does come alive is with the detailed character development of Holiday and Fletcher. The lead characters are so well defined that they easily overshadow everyone else in the movie, which is too bad because there seems to be a good cast of supporting players capable of much more.
The main problem with the movie is the heavy-handed directing of Lee Daniels. Numerous times the decision is made to fade the color of the scene or go completely black-and-white in order to accommodate very brief and needless stock footage. It is a distraction that undermines the effect of the film.
Trevante Rhodes does a fine job as the romantic lead and does well in expressing Fletcher’s weariness from being used by the FBI as they force him to continuously hound Billie Holiday.
Natasha Lyonne shows up early on as Tallulah Bankhead, the Hollywood actress who was known to have had an affair with Billie Holiday. The affair is clearly implied and Natasha Lyonne is an actress known for playing interesting characters. Unfortunately, even here the script leaves both Tallulah and the affair underdeveloped. Mostly it’s included to set up a scene showing how Billie Holiday wasn’t allowed in certain elevators because of segregation.
Andra Day does an amazing job portraying the tortured Billie Holiday. From her lowest points of drug addiction and being beaten by abusive boyfriends, to casually hanging out backstage, her performance really peaks when she’s onstage performing her music. Andra Day, a singer making her starring debut here after a brief role in the 2017 biopic ‘Marshall’, exudes a naturalness to the stage performances that is far less restrained than when most actors play singers on film. A challenging role for any actor, Andra Day excels and is rightfully nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance. An Oscar may not be far away.
The original song “Tigress and Tweed” is also nominated for a Golden Globe in a very competitive category this year. It too may be nominated for an Oscar next month. Also, there is a chance that this film will get nominated for Best Hair and Makeup. Placing Leslie Jordan at the beginning as a journalist with a prominent perm is the only time in the movie that the hairstyling threatens to overtake a character. For the vigilant viewer the hairstylists do a lot to help convey the characters, especially Billie Holiday, at different times in their lives.
‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’ may take place in the late 1940’s and 1950’s, but the subject matter is very relevant to modern America. The film makes a blunt point of this by placing title cards before the film describing an anti-lynching bill in 1937 that failed to pass the Senate. It is reinforced with title cards at the end describing the Emmitt Till bill which outlaws lynching that is still yet to be passed by the Senate.