'Judy' film review: Zellweger's towering turn is worthy the legendary icon
Three-time Academy Award nominee Renée Zellweger delivers a triumphant, career-best performance as the legendary Golden Era superstar in 'Judy' (opening in theaters nationwide Oct. 4).
In short: In late 1968, with fewer people willing to work with her in the United States, legendary performer Judy Garland (Zellweger) performs a series of sold-out concerts in London. Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock and Michael Gambon also star.
Zellweger's towering performance is the film's main attraction, as she utterly mesmerizes in this tragic, melancholy and empathetic turn. She captures a former legend wistful as she recalls her vaunted career, yet she's equally all-too-aware that her best days are behind her. This is not merely an impersonation - Zellweger gives a fully realized, multi-faceted that miraculously elevates the character above the glaring superstar's persona. Zellweger embodies a nuanced vulnerability of a woman overcome with self-doubt as well as the unparalleled power of Garland's super-stardom.
The typical biopic formula tries to tell a story that usually begins in the cradle and extends all the way to the grave, however, 'Judy' once again proves the best biopics focus on a specific era of a person's life. From the outset, 'Judy' affirms Garland as a gifted young girl graced with extraordinary talent, who chose fame over a mundane life. But in the decades following the peak of her career, Garland finds herself earning less than she used to in her heyday and unable to give her young children a stable life. Ultimately, 'Judy' is a humane character study of a woman created by the old Hollywood studio system, and her unrequited search for validation in her final years.
Every aspect of 'Judy' forces Garland to face her value as a fading, self-destructive performer whose fame is in decline, as well as her value as an effectively homeless woman trying to do the best for her children. 'Judy' takes an even-handed approach of the volatile and vulnerable singer, a woman in the midst of a long, slow downward spiral who is as much a product of the entertainment industry as she is directly responsible for her own poor, unstable decisions.
Final verdict: Zellweger's career-defining turn alone makes 'Judy' an essential film of 2019. The combination of her transformation into the iconic performer and her powerhouse stage presence make this the role she was born to play.
Score: 4/5
'Judy' opens in theaters nationwide Oct. 4. This dramatic biopic has a running time of 118 minutes and is rated PG-13 for substance abuse, thematic content, some strong language, and smoking.
