Judy Garland died in 1969 when she was only 47 years old, a victim of the pills and alcohol she used constantly during her tumultuous life. And while she is gone, her memory will be with us forever, as generation after generation watch her walk down the yellow brick road, accompanied by her strange assortment of friends and her little dog Toto.
This movie focuses on the last year of her life. No longer marketable in the United States due to her lifestyle, and out of money, she decides (reluctantly) to perform a series of shows in London, where she is still idolized. Leaving her two young children behind, while she travels, compounds her stress and anxiety.
Renee Zellweger plays Judy, and is remarkable. In fact, it is one of the two or three best performances I can recall, on par with Colin Firthās portrayal of King George in The Kingās Speech, and Gary Oldmanās portrayal of Winston Churchill in The Darkest Hour. As the story progresses, she becomes Judy Garland; you couldnāt tell them apart. This is a character study worthy of your time, and Renee has to be a lock for the Best Actress Oscar, and if somehow she doesnāt win, Iāll be on the first plane out to give them a piece of my mind.
Judy
Entertainment Rating: ★★★★
Rating: PG-13: several bursts of profanity, adult theme throughout
Possible Oscar Nominations: Best Actress; Renee Zellweger, Best Movie, Set Decoration
Arriving in London we watch her perform on stage. Renee does the singing herself, and her voice is almost flawless. The audiences love her and those moments are the highlights of the movie. Unfortunately, before and after the shows, she reverts to the moods brought on by her dependency, and that is where her acting is as good as it gets.
There are several flashbacks about her time as a young star, and we watch as the foundation of her lifelong problems are laid, much of it due to the MGM demagogue Louis B. Mayer. Itās no surprise that young Judy was in love with Mickey Rooney, who rejected her, compounding her growing feelings of frustration and unhappiness.
At the risk of being redundant, this is by far the best movie of the year, and the best acting. Do yourself a favor and see it NOW.
And an added note, as we entered the theater (AMC Lake in the Hills), we noticed several signs posted on the door, warning about the content of the movie The Joker. Iāve been to tons of movies at theaters all over the country, and have never seen anything like that before. The story of course is about āevil incarnate,ā and apparently whatever lines are left were crossed with this production. Makes you wonder. Enjoy Judy.
