Film review: Renee Zellweger transforms into Judy Garland in 'Judy'
-- as played with gusto by Renee Zellweger -- sits on the edge of a stage and introduces a “song about hope.” The orchestra behind her begins playing a few familiar notes and Garland launches into a melancholic rendition “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The scene could have been bombastic cheese. But placed near the end of the film, it feels earned and especially poignant.
The key difference here is Hollywood flat-out destroyed her before she learned how to destroy herself. She was pushed onto the stage for the first time at the tender age of 2. The sinister MGM head Louis B. Mayer was ostensibly the Harvey Weinstein of the 1930s and 1940s. He emotionally and physically bullied a young Judy , forbidding her from putting on weight, plying her with pills and pressuring her to be beautiful.
There’s also a measure of suspense in hearing Zellweger flex her vocal chops. We don’t hear her sing until the 45-minute mark, a shrewd decision on Goold’s part. It takes a few extra beats to adjust to the sight of the onetimeportraying the iconic entertainer. When she finally opens her first London show by belting out “By Myself,” it’s a cross between a pleasant surprise and a revelation.
So, who was Garland off the stage? Therein lies the true tragedy. Without her family and friends off the payroll, the performer walks ever-so tentatively in her high heels. She can’t leave a room unless she’s fully made-up in false lashes. She impulsively marries the only man who’s nice to her. She’s so desperate for company that she asks two devoted fans waiting by the stage door -- a gay couple that see her every night -- to have dinner with her.
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