Life Support

The subject matter of Life Support is heavy, so be prepared when you rent it. It focuses on an HIV support group with a handful of women trying to find hope within a terrible diagnosis. Queen Latifah stars as a woman who contracted the illness through drug use with her husband, Wendell Pierce. Years earlier, her addiction led to the custody loss of her daughter. Now a teenager with frustrations of her own, Rachel Nicks lives with her grandmother but can't seem to make peace with her mother's attempted involvement in her life. Her best friend, Evan Ross, has HIV and doesn't care about taking care of himself. I see no reason why this movie had to be a tv-movie. It felt like a theatrical production, the acting was top-notch, and the story was far more moving and interesting than The Dallas Buyers Club. I read a quote from Stanislavski about acting, that it should be about speaking softly and thinking loudly. Queen Latifah completely embodies that quote, as during every spoken line several other thoughts come across in her expression. From her first scene, as she doles out her morning array of pills and swallows them in silence, to her last silent closeup, she's constantly telling the audience what she's feeling but not saying. If you've only seen Queen Latifah in musicals, pick out one of her heavy movies, like Life Support, Bessie, or Mama Flora's Family. You won't be disappointed by her talent. This movie carries a powerful message, and it's both dramatic and educational. In some scenes, we see a woman moving on with her life; in others, we see a boy throwing his away. During the support group sessions, we hear different perspectives of women who have HIV. Some are afraid to tell people, some are still searching for love, some are angry at themselves. This is a very emotional drama that deals with family connections, regrets, and mistakes that can't be unmade.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. The support group sessions are filmed with a handheld camera and that will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

In Brooklyn, New York, the former crack addicted Ana Wallace (Queen Latifah) is HIV positive and is a volunteer in the Life Support, an organization that promotes a fight against AIDS in the Afro-American community. Ana wanders through the streets handing out condoms and helping people with AIDS through lectures and advices. She lives with her mate Slick (Wendell Pierce), who has transmitted AIDS to her, and their little daughter Kim (Rayelle Parker). She has lost the custody of her older daughter Kelly (Rachel Nicks) that lives with her estranged mother Lucille (Anna Deavere Smith).

When Kelly's childhood gay friend Amare (Evan Ross), who is sick and rejected by his sister Tanya (Tracee Ellis Ross), vanishes on the streets of Brooklyn, Ana seeks him out and tries to save him. Meanwhile Lucille decides to move to Virginia with Kelly, and Ana reflects about her life and the relationship with Kelly.

"Life Support" is a wonderful tribute to life inspired in the true story of a black woman that has overcome her addiction to crack and has become an activist in her community of an organization called Life Support. Despite being a sad story, the message transmitted by this little film is tremendously positive and uplifting. The Afro-American actors and actresses have magnificent performances and Queen Latifah shines in the role of Ana Wallace. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Juntos pela Vida" ("Together for Life")

Queen Latifah is truly outstanding on this biopic about a former drug addict who becomes HIV+ and now devotes her life to helping others avoid or deal with the disease.

But, it is not just the social work that is compelling, it is the fact that even social workers have real lives that intersect with and compete with their duties.

We feel Ana's pain as she tries to convince her sisters in the community to deal realistically with the AIDS epidemic that is the leading cause of death for black women between 24-35. At the same time, she is dealing with a husband that infected her when they were both crack addicts. She is also trying to raise a young daughter, while trying to reconnect with a daughter she lost during her drug-use period. It's almost more than a normal person can handle, and seemingly impossible for a reformed drug-user.

Queen Latifah is assisted by a great cast that includes Wendell Pierce (Ray, "The Wire), Gloria Reuben ("ER"), and newcomer Rachel Nicks.

Growing up in the Bronx with drugs and AIDS being overwhelming issues even 25 years ago, I know how important this film was then and, unfortunately, continues to be today. This film is long overdue in its education of prevention, its compassion for fellow humans, and more than anything - its hope. The AIDS issue is stitched together beautifully following the story of a mending family torn apart by drugs many years ago. It's a must see to understand the inner city and in solving this together. Every part was played to perfection. The writer's depth of understanding that this is a far-reaching issue that invades even the simplest aspects of daily life, family trust, and personal pride is worth mentioning.

Once again HBO has produced a film for television that will doubtless be a success not only in its televised version but on theater release and/or DVD. LIFE SUPPORT as written by Nelson George, Hannah Weyer and Jim McKay and directed with power and restraint by Nelson George has the courage to delve deeply into the problem of AIDS in the black community and the result is a film that is not only informative but also a story of tremendous power about the sequelae of HIV infection on the lives of those infected and their families.

Based on the true story of a mother who as a rack cocaine addict became infected by her boyfriend's indiscriminate use of a shared needle and with the discovery of her sero-positive status turned her life around to become a powerful positive role model and AIDS activist in the black community. Ana Willis (Queen Latifah in a sterling performance) is married to Slick (Wendell Pierce), both of whom are HIV positive and both work, living with their young daughter Kim (Ravelle Parker) and trying to cope with their estranged daughter Kelly (Rachel Nicks, a true find of a young artist!) who elects to live with her grandmother, Ana's beleaguered mother (Anna Deavere Smith, once again proving she is one of the premiere actors of the day). Kelly and Ana are at odds and their strained relationship is one of the evidences of the cruelties of the aftermath of ex-addicts manner of going straight. Kelly's closest friend is Omari (Evan Ross, gifted actor son of Diana Ross!) who is gay and is very ill with AIDS. Kelly asks for Ana's help when Omari disappears and it is through this act that the story plunges forward into the self help groups of AIDS patients Ana chairs, Ana's visit to Omari's boyfriends such as MJ (Darrin Dewitt Henson) who is very much on the down low, and Ana's ultimate finding herself as a mother, a wife, a caregiver and a fine activist in doing her part to prevent the spread of the dread disease form which she suffers.

The large cast is excellent with outstanding performances by Queen Latifah, Anna Deavere Smith, and Rachel Nicks and strong work by Evan Ross et al. The beauty of the film is the avoidance of grandstanding and overacting: the message is driven home quietly and with respect. It is a fine film that should be seen by everyone. Grady Harp