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Genres:
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Biography /
Drama /
Music
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Release:
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Director:
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Sidney J. Furie
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Actors:
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Ned Glass,
Virginia Capers,
Milton Selzer,
Diana Ross,
Paul Hampton,
Isabel Sanford,
Sid Melton,
Yvonne Fair,
Tracee Lyles,
Clay Tanner,
Jester Hairston,
Billy Dee Williams,
Richard Pryor,
James T. Callahan,
Norman Bartold
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Duration:
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144 min.
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Rating:
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(7/10)97.5
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Plot Summary:
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Chronicles the rise and fall of legendary blues minstrel Billie Fete. Her late minority, stint as a loose woman, early tours, marriages and addiction are featured.
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Tags:
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Lady Sings the Blues
An uncompromising biopic of the Lady 'Day, Billie Holiday, bravely confronting her time as a prostitute, her rape, the racism she encountered and, most graphically, her addiction to heroin. While this is dark stuff, it is never unrelenting. It cannot be when you have those beautiful songs to showcase, but mainly the film succeeds because of Ross. From her own vocal interpretations to sticking a needle in her arm, she gives a hauntingly brilliant performance, less an impersonation of Holiday than an attempt to become her. It is astonishing that this was her first acting gig, and surprising she's got nowhere near it since.
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