Movie Review - Judy
I was sitting in the theater watching Judy when I realized I'm the target audience. I grew up idolizing this gifted woman and was well aware of her continuous struggles to rid herself of the demons that seemed to dictate her life. So I feel most qualified to review this movie.
When you see Renee Zellweger's interpretation of Judy Garland, you'll see why everyone (that matters) is raving about her performance. Some people (who really don't matter) are panning Renee's performance as over-exaggerated and off-key.
I think perhaps these people didn't grow up knowing the real Judy Garland -- they only know Dorothy Gale. Renee's gesticulations were spot on. And because Renee's voice didn't reflect the golden tones of a sixteen year old girl singing about rainbows and such, she was unduly criticized. Director Rupert Goold explained that during 1969, Judy's voice was older, and the years had not been nice to her vocal cords, nor the rest of her body. In short, Renee nailed it. Move over Oscar #1, Mamma's bringing home Oscar #2.
I have to say that in my theater the demographics were couples over sixty. I spoke with several couples who found, just as I did, that Renee's interpretation was spot-on. I fear that movie-goers younger than fifty will not get the same enjoyment as the baby boomers will have. But this does not include folks under fifty who actually have very good cinematic taste.
In all respects, this is an excellent movie; well acted, directed, and written. Also, major kudos to the costume and makeup departments. I see an Oscar nod in their future. BTW, the ending alone is worth the price of a ticket.
Grade: A
Rated (PG-13) for substance abuse, thematic content, some strong language, and smoking
Genres: Biography, Drama, History, True life story
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