Life Support

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 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.

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.

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.

A very good film showing the life of a former drug user who works for an outreach program for women with HIV.

Queen Latifah, a very fine actress, is well suited for the part of Annie.

What makes this film so good is that there is little violence. All the characters give meaning to this very endearing film.

Latifah is especially effective in her sessions with other women. There are marvelous supporting performances by the daughter she gave up to her mother. The latter is also quite good.

This is a very compelling story detailing the black experience with regard to home life and personal identifications and self-esteem.

The Brooklyn locations are a joy to see.