Perusing through the Cineworld app the other day I noticed that there was an Unlimited Screening of the new biopic of Judy starring Renee Zellweger in the title role, so after seeing the trailer a while back that, I was intrigued by the thought of the movie and booked my tickets.
Judy starts with a young Judy Garland (Renee Zellweger) in 1938 about to embark on the film that made her a household name and to this day still has fans loving the film, music and the fantasy world of The Wizard of Oz, we are then brought forward to 1968 when Garland is at a low point, with her children living in and out of hotels while she performs for a pittance at venue.
But then one night, she is thrown out of a hotel for arrears and makes the decision to visit her ex-husband, Sidney Luft (Rufus Sewell), leaving her two children Lorna (Bella Ramsey) and Joey (Lewin Lloyd) with him.
Shortly after Judy heads to London in the Winter of 1968, where she performs a series of sold-out shows, but still those demons follow her and not everything goes to plan.
Based on the stageplay “End of the Rainbow”, Judy is a fascinating look at the last part of a musical legends life, with the use of flashbacks we see how she was treated on the set of The Wizard of Oz, being told she couldn’t eat much to keep her weight down to play Dorothy, being given drugs to keep the food cravings down, stay awake and sleep during the ery long hours of filming the now-classic movie.
The past shows its toll on her in later life and during her 1968 performances, the lack of sleep still plagues her along with the drinking etc, even before her first performance she is late and her London assistant Rosalyn Wilder, played brilliantly by Jessie Buckley, has to go to the hotel to glam her up and get her to the theatre, but as the dates and performances progress one of her shows even had hecklers and people throwing things on the stage, leading to the Bernard Delfont (Michael Gambon) considering firing her.
The cast of Judy has a great selection of well-known faces, but it has to be said that Renee Zellweger steals the show as the iconic star, from the start of the film you forget you are watching Zellweger and start to think you are watching Garland, the passion of her performance and the year spent with vocal coach Eric Vetro (La La Land (2016)) can be heard from her stunning performance.
I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Judy, it’s one of those films that has you gripped from start to finish and it’s tragic to think that six months after Garland’s time in London she died and the young age of 47.
JUDY is directed by Tony nominee and two times Olivier winner Rupert Goold (King Charles III). The film is based on a script written by Tom Edge (The Crown) and is produced by BAFTA winner David Livingstone (Pride) for Calamity Films.
Goold’s creative team includes Director of Photography Ole Bratt Birkeland (The Crown), Musical Director Matt Dunkley (Black Swan), Editor Melanie Oliver (Les Miserables), Costume Designer Jany Temime (Harry Potter), Make Up and Hair Designer Jeremy Woodhead (Doctor Strange) and Production Designer Kave Quinn (Far from the Madding Crowd).
Somewhere over the Rainbow
Movie title: Judy (2019)
Movie description: Legendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts.
Date published: October 2, 2019
Director(s): Rupert Goold
Actor(s): Renee Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Rufus Sewell
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
