The United States vs Billie Day Holiday (Hulu)

 

The United States vs Billie Day Holiday (Hulu)

This is the story of Billie Day Holiday’s short and notorious life. She was popular in America and overseas for her unique jazz and blues voice. She had a tragic life. Her mother was a prostitute and she was raised in a brothel. At age ten she was raped. She was a heroin addict and spent a year in jail. She attracted the wrong men or the wrong men were attracted to her; they beat her and took her money. She was also a pioneer in civil rights activism for her rendition of the protest song “Strange Fruit”. In her defiance to sing Strange Fruit she irked the ire of Herbert Hoover and was a target of the FBI for many years.

Andrea Day  gives a phenomenal performance. She resembles Holiday, but what carries her performance is attitude. Her portrayal of Holiday' defiance of the FBI and other authorities in her life is palpable. Day emotes Holiday’s theatrical persona. Holiday was temperamental and rash which Day brings these traits to the screen. When Day sings she embodies Holiday. She sings the songs in the movie. To mimic Holiday’s timbre she started smoking, drinking alcohol and cold water.

Lee Daniels is the director. He tells a great story but the flow of the film is a bit choppy and nonsequential.  The period wardrobes authenticate the film. Day is showcased in  gowns associated with Holiday. The excellent ensemble cast includes Tyler James Williams as Lester Young . He is the person who gave Holiday the moniker Lady Day. Trevante Rhodes plays Jimmy Fletcher, an FBI agent and one of her lovers (its complicated). Billie Day Holiday died at the age of 44 of cirrhosis.

I never heard of the song Strange Fruit nor realized its significance to the civil rights movement. It is based on a poem by Abel Meeropol, a.k.a Lewis Allan:

 

 

Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swingin' in the Southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin' from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulgin' eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burnin' flesh

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather
For the wind to suck
For the sun to rot
For the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop

 

 

The Butler

Outstanding movie, go see it.

This is a tale of two stories. One story focuses on the embryonic Civil Rights movement and the other is about a boy’s journey from the cotton fields of Macon Georgia to the back door of the White House. The stories are separate but connected.  Cecile Gaines is the Butler who is very content with the status quo because he knew how hard and dangerous life was before arriving in DC. One of his son’s, Louis, becomes a Freedom Rider against his father’s wishes. This situation creates bitterness and anger between the two. In his quite way Cecile was advancing the cause by giving a better life to his family and the ability for his sons to move forward.

This role was perfect for Forest Whitaker. He has played the quite confident character in other roles (OK, he was not that quite as Idi Amin). Whitaker’s role requires a range of emotions from the invisible butler to the agonized father estranged from his son. The transitioning of emotions is what makes him a great actor.

Then there is Oprah. The woman is a billionaire but she still knows how to work. Oprah must have had real life experience to play Gloria Gaines so well. The part was more than a dutiful wife; she had her own demons and transgressions she had to battle. Her acting chops are still sharp. Oh, one other thing, Oprah has a mean back hand and I do not mean tennis!

I am not sure if the director meant to have the US Presidents as humorous as they were. Some characterizations were better than others. Here are the Presidents in no particular order: John Cusack, Robin Williams, James Marsden, Live Schreiber and Alan Richman. None were an encore performance, but with little imagination they pulled it off.

I am going out on a limb, but I think Forest Whitaker will get an Oscar nomination. As for Oprah, regrettably she has too much bling already.