Starting
with a young Judy Garland on the set of The
Wizard of Oz where studio head Louis B Mayer counsels his budding star who
is fed pills for her weight and anxiety, we flash forward to the 1960s where
Judy is middle aged, living a nomadic existence, and out of work with two young
children to care for. When an
opportunity comes to sing and make money in England, she flies to London
where adoring fans are witness to an unstable singer whose moods and substance
abuse hamper her comeback performance. She
also has to contend with husbands past and present while desperate to reunite
with her kids stateside. As the pressure
and her insecurity take a physical and emotional toll, does she have a gold performance
left in her?
The
period details are good, but the film is serviceable at best. However, it is
Zellweger who carries this film from start to finish. She
convincingly embodies a performer who has a vulnerable, unstable side and
self-deprecating humor that masks her fears.
What sells this is that she instills her powerful vocals with Garland’s
resonance in several, memorable songs.
Whether
this is or isn't an accurate depiction of her personal demons (a 2001 TV movie
with Judy Davis compares favorably,) there is no doubt that she is a tragic
figure whose gift was unparalleled, and those climactic moments in a London
venue are quite affecting. It’s no
surprise that Renée won The Oscar for Leading Actress.
***
of **** stars (add ½ star for Renee)
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