Female Film Critics 24/375
Simply titled Judy, director Rupert Goold’s film tackles the last year of Judy Garland’s life, 1968 to 1969. On the whole, it is not a happy one, given Judy’s reliance on alcohol and pills, a self-destructive addiction explored in flashbacks to MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer’s abusive treatment of her during the 1939 shoot of The Wizard of Oz.
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Flashbacks to her adolescence at MGM Studios make it clear that show biz broke Garland early and often: The teenage Judy (the terrific Darci Shaw) is force-fed uppers to suppress her appetite and keep her working 18-hour days, denied sleep and meals for long stretches and deprived of any privacy or personal time. Her attempts to buck the system lead to soft-spoken spates of verbal abuse from intimidating studio head Louis B. Mayer (Richard Cordery, low-key terrifying).
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Renee Zellweger is dazzling as Judy Garland! With Oscar-caliber dexterity, she captures the tragic strength and vulnerability of the legendary singer – her wit and warmth, along with the charismatic emotionality of her voice.
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Among the nearly 250 movies, from Hollywood blockbusters to independent foreign films, that screened at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, one of my favorites was Judy, anchored by an astonishing performance by Renee Zellweger. In her first musical performance since Chicago, Zellweger delivers a comeback role for the ages that puts her at the front of this year’s best actress Oscar race.
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