Life Support

This film is beyond excellent. Where do I start? First, , the acting by all involved including the minor parts is brilliant. Queen Latifah is truly royal; Ross, Smith, and Pierce are equally brilliant; however, Pierce's role as the husband matches Latifah's performance punch for punch. A special shout out to Tracee Ellis Ross whose small role was handled brilliantly.

Second, the movie itself feel like a home movie. It is no small wonder it is based on the life of "Ana" a real life heroin addict whose life unfolds in front of us. The movies use of NYC locations was a smart move by all involved. The music used is really good. The dreariness of the city holds up like a toxic killer that is HIV.

Third, the topic of HIV amongst the forgotten community: blacks in America is a long time coming. Nowadays, HIV is huge among African American in our inner cities.

The movie finely address the "invisible" population and gives them names and faces.

I wholeheartedly recommend this film for anyone who wants to see what brilliant acting, plot line, and heart-wrenching choices people make...even if they are wrong.

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!"

This was an amazing film! Congratulations HBO, Very powerful story of a mother infected with HIV working for a New York support group called "Life Support." Ana Willis, brilliantly played by Queen Latifah, is a former drug addict who devotes her life to preventing others from traveling down the same path she did. Amazingly real and well-acted, this is a great story. Tracee Ellis Ross turns in a scene stealing performance as well as her brother, Evan Ross, who brought a vulnerability to his accurate portrayal of a young, gay street hustler infected with HIV. Please take the time to watch this, it's a wonderful story with a great cast and an important message!

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.

This is a very moving performance by the multi-talented Queen! I liked her before, and I think this is better than her in Chicago. This is real, and she is keepin' that way!This movie is not just for one race, but for everyone, and she moves me in a way I cannot feel like crying. AIDS, and HIV is a difficult topic for African Americans, let alone everyone else, and she seems to have no problem with portraying an HIV positive woman, trying to help the world. Ms. Wallace........aka Queen Latifa, is great in this performance. It is educational, and yet it need ed to be addressed at some point over the past 30 years without an HIV positive person suffering a horrid death, as she is living her life.