ReviewJudy film review: Renée Zellweger’s Golden Globe-winning performance anchors wistful Garland biopic

The movie focuses on the last period of Garland’s life, when she was broke, effectively homeless and craving stability

Judy is a cut above most biopics, and Renée Zellweger’s approach to Judy Garland is very sympathetic and moving

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Renée Zellweger in a still from Judy (category IIA), directed by Rupert Goold. Jessie Buckley and Finn Wittrock co-star.

Published: 7:00pm, 13 Jan 2020Updated: 7:00pm, 13 Jan 2020

4/5 stars

This sad story of the twilight days of Judy Garland is a cut above most biopics. Working from Peter Quilter’s Broadway play End of the Rainbow, director Rupert Goold resists the temptation to draw moral lessons from the downfall of his subject, and instead gets the story down with imagination and flair.

A Golden Globe-winning performance from Renée Zellweger as the titular star avoids wallowing in despair, but still manages to convey the very real misery of the embattled entertainer. The result is a touching drama which is balanced enough to avoid out-and-out weepiness.

Judy doesn’t reveal any facts about the entertainer which aren’t already well known. Garland, a child star who famously played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz , was exploited to the point of abuse by MGM, the studio which had her under contract.

Garland’s every move was monitored, she was only allowed to eat what she was told, and the studio even gave her pills to help her sleep. Her treatment led to psychological issues in adult life, and she had difficulty with her personal relationships and maintaining her career.

The movie focuses on the last period of Garland’s life, when she was contracted to perform a series of shows at London’s Talk of the Town venue in 1968, the year before she died. By this stage of her career, Garland was considered unreliable, and had gained a reputation for failing to show up for her concerts. She was also broke, and effectively homeless.