Judy

It's very rare that you get to see an actor perform above abilities previously seen by them when giving a performance, but that's just what Renee Zellweger does in Judy.  She's not just acting here, she is going above and beyond your expectations, as well as any performance from her performance history that you could care to name.  She's bearing her very heart and soul up there on the screen, and it is beautiful to watch. 

The movie itself plays it somewhat safe when it comes to telling the story of Judy Garland, but that's to be expected.  At least it's not so safe that the movie comes across as completely toothless.  It also can be emotionally devastating at times, though I'm not sure how much is due to the movie itself.  That's just how powerful Zellweger is here.  She is not only up to the challenge of being Garland in all aspects, but she rises above the material, which was already pretty strong to begin with.  This is a case of a movie that probably was always good, but thanks to the lead performance, it becomes absolutely wonderful.  Some movies are lifted up or saved by its performances.  This is a rare case where the lead performance raises everything to such a level that it's kind of stunning.

Judy Garland died at the age of 47 in 1969 due to an accidental drug overdose.  In a way, her entire life was leading up to that moment, as we witness flashbacks that show a younger Garland (Darci Shaw, also fantastic) being put through the Hollywood system.  She was given drugs to lose weight, drugs to sleep, and the rest of the time she gave every bit of energy she had to studio chief Louis B. Mayer (Richard Cordery).  Louis kept an obsessive eye on his young star during the filming of The Wizard of Oz, and manipulated her pretty much every chance he got.  He would pull her aside to have "private talks", where he basically tried to break down any strength or resistance that she might have.  However, Judy does not portray its subject as a total victim.  She has a fight and a spirit to her, and that is one aspect that Zellweger embodies.

In her final year that the movie focuses on, Garland was broke after a string of failed marriages and poor investments.  She can't even afford to make a home for her two youngest children, Lorna (Bella Ramsey) and Joey (Lewin Lloyd).  With her eldest daughter, Liza Minnelli (Gemma-Leah Devereux), already building a career of her own, Judy is focused on giving the best life she can for her youngest.  That's why she accepts an offer to perform for five weeks at a London nightclub called The Talk of the Town.  It's clearly hard for Judy to be away from her kids, but she has to do this so that she has a chance to be with them.  The film's main focus is tracking this point in Judy's life, where she could give performances that were electric and commanding, or a total mess, where Garland would take the stage drunk and insult the hecklers in her audience.

You can easily see how Judy could quickly devolve into a sad-sack of a movie about self-destruction, but British filmmaker Rupert Goold keeps everything moving at a quick pace.  We can clearly see that Garland is a pawn to her addictions, and a near-lifetime of hard living and drinking has taken its toll.  However, we do not pity her, and that is thanks in big part to Zellweger.  She plays her as a performer on the ropes, but is not ready to quit.  She knows she is not at her best, and her performances can be erratic.  This is part of what makes the performance work so well.  She's not doing a flat-out imitation of Garland, but rather is portraying her as a shadow of who she used to be.  She still has pride and even a sense of humor.  When someone asks how she handled her depression, she responds with "Four husbands...Obviously that didn't work".

There is also not as much of the padding that we usually expect from a biopic film, since this movie is focused on just a specific moment in her life and career.  What the movie captures is how Garland essentially performed with little preparation, as if she were working without a net.  The movie kind of takes the same approach, which is a smart decision.  Here is Garland, here is where she was in her life, and there is little time for contrivances and forced melodrama.  One scene where the movie steps away from her career is incredibly good, and that is when she spends an evening with two fans.  It's a tender and heartfelt scene where Judy is having a rare moment not on stage and in the spotlight, and gets to be with regular people that she is comfortable with.

This is one of many small and deeply powerful moments that make up Judy.  It's also why it's not just a great performance, but a great movie as well.  It's a tight, focused film, and that focus is wisely centered on Zellweger.  She makes the film, and in her final moments, she almost transcends it.  This is a movie that can be shattering emotionally, but it also has a lot of spark, a lot of life, and one unforgettable portrayal.

0 comments