J.P. Devine Movie Review: ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’ Great jazz singer’s life torturously lived, difficult to watch. Share Andra Day portrays Billie Holiday in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” Takashi Seida/Hulu photo Director Lee Daniels (“The Butler” 2013) brings to the screen a brutal, painful two hours and 10 minutes of the life of the great jazz singer, Billie Holiday, in his film “United States vs. Billie Holiday.” Following close behind the recent “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” George. C. Wolfe’s screen version of August Wilson’s play, rips back the curtain on the ugly past of many of the music world’s great black performers.