THE UNITED STATES VS BILLIE HOLIDAY – Review by Liz Braun

There was a lot of pain and conflict in Billie Holiday’s short life, all of it right there in the music. That music is the saving grace of The United States vs. Billie Holiday, a new biopic about the legendary jazz singer that stars Andra Day and is directed by Lee Daniels, with a screenplay by Suzan-Lori Parks. It’s an uneven and often melodramatic undertaking, suffering from what looks like an inability to leave anything out. The United States vs. Billie Holiday won’t tell you anything new about Billie Holiday but it functions as lovely window dressing for Andra Day’s extraordinary singing talent.

It’s an uneven and often melodramatic undertaking, suffering from what looks like an inability to leave anything out

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For Valentine’s Day 2020: Men We Love

To celebrate Valentine’s Day 2020, AWFJ is posting this virtual Valentine to express our love for and to honor our male colleagues who’ve embraced the causes of gender parity and inclusively, and whose work has and is leveling the playing field for women working in film. For many of them, advocacy and activism for better representation of women on camera and behind the lens dates back to before #MeToo became an iconic hashtag and the feminist movement marched into the spotlight.

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