JUDY
The story of the last year of Judy Garland.
Oh boy. What will the Academy voters do, with a great performance by Renee Zellweger, in a film that is just average? Will they ignore the film and give her credit?
This film is truthful for sure. However sadly, we are just following a sad shell of Judy falling form her prime. Popping pills and drinking. Popping pills and drinking. Performing badly. Popping pills and drinking and performing badly. There is not much of a story here other than a fall from grace, but sadly the fall from grace happened before the film even starts, so it feels like we are watching the end of a story at the beginning of the film. When we join the film she cant be insured so she cannot make films in Hollywood. She is in the middle of a custody fight with her latest ex. She goes to London to do live shows to make money and she is not healthy enough to do so. End of story.
I guess we could blame Rupert Goold the director, and maybe the screenwriter Tom Edge (Note this film was based on a stage play, which may have been another bad idea to use that source material).
The film flashes back a couple times to a young Judy and how she is treated, connecting it to how she is or her actions in this film. Now that is sad but that is the story. The film should start with her younger days, how she is from OZ to Liza to London. That is the story. How she was treated by the the production companies. Plus I hear she had a great sense of humor, we never see it here. Again there is a Judy story to be made...this is not it.
Well the positives of course are the performances:
Zellweger has the best performance of the year for sure, she disappears into the role.
Darci Shaw is great as the young Judy, again I wanted more of her story.
Jessie Buckley as Rosalyn Wilder Judy's assistant in London. She is the one and maybe only who is kind to her in London. Buckley says so much with just a look in this film she is really good.
Well 2 1/2 stars for Judy..a disappointing, boring, hard to watch film. Zellweger saves this film for sure.
From the shadows as always thanks for your time.
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