Thirty years after starring in "The Wizard of Oz," beloved actress and singer Judy Garland arrives in London to perform sold-out shows at the Talk of the Town nightclub. While there, she reminisces with friends and fans and begins a whirlwind romance with musician Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband.
Judy is a film that celebrates Garland's legacy, and while the film is a little generic in its storytelling, Zellwegers truly phenomenal performance pulls you into this behind the scenes to look at one of Hollywoods greatest stars.
Read Chris' full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-judy-zellweger-goes-for-oscar-gold-in-mid-core-biopic
Renée Zellweger remembers how to act in this simple biopic, delivering her best performance since Cold Mountain in 2003, however despite the good intentions, the film cannot help feeling like a vehicle to grant nominations to its lead actress in the coming awards season, instead of saying something more interesting about Judy Garland.
Judy clicks her heels three times to transport us to a world of melancholy and self-destruction. Somewhere over the rainbow lies Judy Garland. An innocent, fragile and talented young actress who infiltrated silver screens and rapidly shot to fame. The voice of an ethereal angel. MGMs golden girl.
But behind the lavish productions and beneath that unimpeachable smile, was an undisputed amount of pressure. A malleable marionette susceptible to the puppetry of Hollywood. A product of ruthless executives. Garland was no longer a person. Her individuality brutally reaped by higher authorities, manipulating her into believing she was physically unattractive. Starving, pill-popping and overworked. That was the cruel life of Judy Garland. The gl...
I don't want to dismiss the hard work that Zellwegger put into playing a version of Judy Garland, but I do want to dismiss the script entirely. Judy takes the most boring, trite and overused direction that it possibly can at every single opportunity.
Final rating: - Had some things that appeal to me, but a poor finished product.
Renée Zellweger must be up for an Oscar nomination for this, frankly, dazzling performance as Judy Garland. She really does shine and, to a certain extent, help us who didn't experience Garland at her peak first hand get a sense of just what a true - and flawed - star she was. Clearly, there will never be another original, but I don't think Renée is trying to be a mimic in this film - anyone who attempted that would really be on a hiding to nothing. That's is why I found her performance so captivating - it is personal. Sadly, though, there isn't much depth to the rest of the film - Jessie Buckley (good in "Wild Rose") stands out, but otherwise it is a little humdrum.
