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Billie

Play trailer 1:59 Poster for Billie 2020 1h 36m Documentary Music Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
97% Tomatometer 36 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
In 1971, journalist Linda Lipnack Kuehl set out to write the definitive biography of Billie Holiday. Over 8 years, she tracked down and tape-recorded over 200 hours of interviews with the extraordinary characters that populated the iconic singer's short, tumultuous life. However, Linda's book was never finished and the tapes never heard -- until now.
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Billie

Billie

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Critics Consensus

A rich and engaging portrait of the famed musician, Billie puts a spotlight on a story that goes beyond the conventional artist profile.

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Critics Reviews

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Christina Newland iNews.co.uk 09/23/2024
5/5
A bon vivant, a troubled woman, and many things besides, the film does not work to overly pathologise her, but presents all her many pieces to the audience. Go to Full Review
Lidija Haas The New Republic 03/02/2021
The thrill of the documentary is in hearing the voices of key players in Holiday's story and their competing versions of events. Go to Full Review
Noel Murray Los Angeles Times 12/04/2020
"Billie" isn't just about the stories we tell about great artists. It's also about why we tell them - and whether we can ever really get them right. Go to Full Review
Victoria Luxford City AM 02/26/2022
4/5
As much as the film is a testament to Holidays life, it is also a tribute to the passion one writer had in getting to know the real Lady. Go to Full Review
Milana Vujkov Lola On Film 07/31/2021
5/5
The brilliance of this duality, the two tales documenting Holiday, of the artist and of the biographer, the telling of the singularity that was Billie through [a] mirror. Go to Full Review
Jordan Bassett NME (New Musical Express) 04/22/2021
4/5
This loving portrait sheds little new light on the star, but is compelling nonetheless... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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dave d 03/27/2021 Hubby and Wife date afternoon brings us, 'Billie', a documentary about Billie Holiday. The feature is based around interviews recorded on audio cassettes through the 1970s by Linda Lipnack Kuehl, researching a book on Holiday that was never completed. Those never heard before stories give us a thorough portrait of Holiday. Your mileage will vary based on how much audio you can take, but it's put together in a way that makes this a visually satisfying experience. The film tries to intertwine the story of the journalist and that doesn't always work. It's fairly sloppy to insinuate a murder took place without the least shred of proof. Final Score: Hubby 7.5 Wife: 5.7 Average: 6.6/10 See more 02/28/2021 The greatest retelling of Billie Holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more len s 01/05/2021 Great if you're a fan of Billie Holliday. Nice footage and interviews with her contemporaries. See more Danny E 12/11/2020 Amazingly well put together documentary. I have always loved Billie Holiday. Despite her dying decades before I was born, she speaks to me. And, this documentary told so much more of her story. See more Read all reviews
Billie

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 1971, journalist Linda Lipnack Kuehl set out to write the definitive biography of Billie Holiday. Over 8 years, she tracked down and tape-recorded over 200 hours of interviews with the extraordinary characters that populated the iconic singer's short, tumultuous life. However, Linda's book was never finished and the tapes never heard -- until now.
Director
James Erskine
Producer
Barry Clark-Ewers, James Erskine, Victoria Gregory, Laure Vaysse
Screenwriter
James Erskine
Distributor
Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co
New Black Films, Altitude Film Entertainment, Polygram Entertainment, Concord Films, Reliance Entertainment Productions 8
Genre
Documentary, Music, Biography
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 4, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 4, 2020
Runtime
1h 36m
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