trevante rhodes – Smaller Pictures

The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021)

The United States vs. Billie Holiday has produced one of the biggest surprises to come out of this year’s Golden Globes. Andra Day proved victorious in the Lead Actress in a Drama category as she beat out favourites Frances McDormand and Carey Mulligan to receive the prize for her turn as legendary jazz singer, Billie Holiday. Chronicling Billie’s life leading up to, during and after her controversial prison time, The United States vs. Billie Holiday does have its flaws but it features brilliant performances from Day and the rest of the cast. Directed by Lee Daniels from a script written by Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, The United States vs. Billie Holiday has found a star in Andra Day.

The film does take a while to find its natural pace but once it does, it is enjoyable to watch. The first half of the film feels rushed, flitting quickly from one event to the other unexpectedly without really letting the characters breathe. I think that because Parks has a lot more experience in writing plays, this technique would work much better on stage than on screen but the second half brings some brilliant characterisation. Daniels’ direction also shines in the second half as we see Holiday’s rebellion and unapologetic attitude take hold and her descent into drug and alcohol abuse.

It goes without saying that Andra Day is heart and soul of the film. Without her fantastic performance this film would not have the power and attention it currently does have. What makes Day’s performance so captivating is that she doesn’t try to be Holiday through mimicking but really delves deep into Holiday’s layered personality. On the surface, she is a hugely successful singer who is loved all over the country but inside she is riddled with addiction combined with bouts of domestic violence and run-ins with the law. With biopics being a mainstay on the awards circuit in recent years, it is refreshing to see a performance that isn’t just an imitation and not much more. Although the film around her has its flaws, Day elevates the whole viewing experience and makes it both rewarding and positive overall.

In support, Trevante Rhodes is great as federal agent Jimmy Fletcher. Having previously had his own breakout role in the Oscar winning masterpiece Moonlight as adult Chiron, Rhodes sees a change of pace here as a conflicted federal agent who plays a huge part in Holiday’s imprisonment. Thinking that being an agent was going to make the world better for African-Americans, he soon realises the corruption that lies in the higher ranks ran by the white elite who are against the civil rights movement. Although Rhodes isn’t in the film a lot, he gives the audience that outsider perspective as he follows Holiday and her entourage on tour.

The film really hits its stride in the second half as Holiday embarks on her tour followed by Fletcher. One scene that is a highlight in particular is when Fletcher is high on heroin and Holiday tells him about her troubled upbringing. The way it is staged as Fletcher sits and views a young Holiday being kicked out by her mother. The structure of the scene prevents the film from simply being a linear scene by scene recreation of Billie’s life. In terms of the direction, the film feels like it is split into two films with the first half being less adventurous and following a move traditional and expected structure and the second half diving into a more experimental and unpredictable approach. This could coincide with Holiday’s descent into addiction and her life spiralling out of control but I think the film as a whole would have benefitted hugely if the approach was more consistent throughout. If Daniels had directed the first half of the film like the second, the discussion around the quality of the film overall would be hugely different.

Although The United States vs. Billie Holiday may not be the strongest film in contention this awards season, it is definitely worth the watch purely for its great final act and Andra Day’s breakthrough performance. I expect to see Day recognised further with an Academy Award nomination at least and it’s exciting what the future holds for her if she decides to pursue a career in film.

What did you think of The United States vs. Billie Holiday? Let us know in the comments below!

The United States vs. Billie Holiday is available on Sky Cinema now!

One of the best Best Picture winners in Oscar history, Barry Jenkins’ coming of age tale follows Chiron, a young black man coming to terms with his homosexuality through three key stages in his life. Split into three segments: Little (Alex Hibbert), Chiron (Ashton Sanders) and Black (Trevante Rhodes), we follow Chiron’s ascendence from bullied child to a successful drug dealer. Sadly, the infamous confusion between the true winner of the Best Picture award when La La Land was wrongly announced. Moonlight’s win was monumental for being the first film to openly discuss themes of homosexuality as well as featuring a predominantly black cast. Aside from its record-breaking and importance in film history, it holds merit as a captivating piece of cinema with innovative direction, emotionally charged writing and characters that hold influence for the entirety of the film despite limited screen time. This is a film that will be remembered for the ages.

It’s incredible that this is Barry Jenkins’ debut feature. It is one of the best debuts in film history and caused a lot of hype going into awards season. Jenkins’ vision comes across fantastically by presenting Chiron as an outsider in his own community. This is important because Chiron’s story is ultimately about being in a minority within a minority (gay within the black community). Moonlight is made up of shorter scenes that give us a glimpse into Chiron’s life. Following Chiron limits our view of the world at large but we still get the struggles across as we see him attending high school and being badly bullied. Jenkins doesn’t feel the need to explain a character’s absence and allows this to come out naturally in the script. Jenkins co-wrote the play with Tarell Alvin McCraney based on the latter’s unperformed play, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. Together they reflected on their upbringings in Miami and were able to apply their own experiences into the script to ensure that it was as real and human as can be. Because of the authenticity and the knowledge of the area and its people, Moonlight doesn’t fall into the trap of including stereotypes that are often seen in films.

The cast all do a superb job of telling Chiron’s story, particularly Mahershala Ali as Juan, a drug dealer who takes Chiron under his wing at a young age. Juan is living with his girlfriend Teresa (Janelle Monae) and the two act as surrogate parents as Chiron’s mother becomes more abusive and neglectful. Juan subverts the tropes that drug dealers are given in film. He is wise, thoughtful and considerate. More importantly, he is sensitive and completely understanding Chiron’s situation almost immediately. Despite only featuring in the first part of the film before his untimely death, Juan’s presence is felt through the film. Ali’s performance is one of tenderness and paternity. What also comes across is Juan’s confidence in himself and his identity. Jenkins is subverting stereotypes and showing a perspective that is needed and long overdue.

The score by Nicholas Britell is among the best of the century so far. The soundtrack is brilliant mix of rap, classical excerpts from composers such as Mozart and original music. The original music is truly stunning with beautiful use of single violin solos to exemplify Chiron’s loneliness. What Britell does is give a separate theme for the three Chirons we see in the film. The themes aren’t distinctly different but feel like an evolution through the film until we get to Black’s theme much like Chiron’s development and understanding of his own self. At times it feels as if the music reflects Chiron himself in the specific scenes as the pace quickens in moments of adrenaline and then eases off in moments of relaxation. Chiron and the music go hand in hand making the music an entire experience through Chiron’s eyes.

Moonlight is a film that stays with you and one that is difficult to forget. It doesn’t shy away from showing the brutality of modern society and the struggles that minorities face. Jenkins solidified himself as one to watch with this film and followed it up with the excellent If Beale Street Could Talk. Moonlight is truly in a league of its own and has brought a new voice to cinema that is needed and valid. Scenes in which Chiron is rejected by his own mother (Naomie Harris), an abusive drug-addict, are revealed bit by bit as they coincide with Chiron’s own understanding of the situation. As his mother uses homophobic slurs against him, Chiron too becomes accustomed to that way of thinking and distances himself from his desires as an adult. Moonlight is one of those films that you can watch time and time again and find something to admire while reaping in the rewards of this cinematic masterpiece. It’s not often when smaller films are exposed to high levels of publicity but Moonlight thoroughly deserves it and is such an important film to note in the way of diversity in its cast and crew, providing a new perspective and a new wave of films that make way for different cultures told by those from those cultures.

What do you think about Moonlight? Let me know in the comments below!