Judy

‘Judy’ is a film that celebrates Garland's legacy, and while the film is a little generic in its storytelling, Zellweger’s truly phenomenal performance pulls you into this behind the scenes to look at one of Hollywood’s greatest stars.
- Chris dos Santos

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. MGM’s 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...

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 Bu...