Judy

Dir. Rupert Gould

118 Minutes

USA

2019

**1/2/*****

Six months before her tragic death, Judy Garland performs a series of concerts in London in an effort to save enough money to regain possession of her two young children. During the run, Garland is haunted by her past and ruminates on her experiences with MGM head Louis B Mayer, friendship and infatuation with frequent co-star Mickey Rooney, and her dependence on pills at a young age, while also dealing with alcoholism, insomnia, and a fourth marriage. Renee Zellweger brings compassion and complete commitment to her affectionate portrayal of Garland, and, as usual with this type of fare, one wishes the film around her was more thoughtful and interesting than what it is. Director Rupert Goold mostly lets the camera relax and lets Zellweger do the heavy lifting, but the film suffers immensely whenever she is not in the screen as he fails to put any stock elsewhere. Supporting players populate backstage at the concerts, with the actors playing types rather than characters (for instance, Michael Gambon as the theater owner has two modes: scowling when Garland is performing intoxicated, and smiling when she is killing it). Jessie Buckley comes out the most well-rounded as a hired hand to Garland, and the film thankfully keeps the film internal to Its subject rather than taking cues from several recent biopics and having an uninteresting side character be the entryway into the celebrity personality. But at the heart of the piece is Zellweger, and it is a very welcome and strong performance from someone who has been out of the spotlight for a few years, going beyond a simple impersonation (which is done quite well) and getting into the charisma, posture, and, ultimately, sadness of Judy Garland. September 28th, 2019