Judy 2019

     This film is a loose adaptation of End of the Rainbow by West End and Broadway Olivier nominated playwright Peter Quilter.  This story needed to be true and more precise with fewer elements of fantasy than the play.  Thirty years after starring in the Wizard of Oz (1939), actress and singer Judy Garland arrives in London in late 1968.  She is to perform a five-week run of sold-out shows at London’s Talk of the Town nightclub.  She has financial problems plus debts and that means she can’t afford to live in plush hotel suites with her two children  She reminisces with friends and fans on stage.  Sometimes she suffers from destructive anxiety and stage fright.  She doesn’t properly, get enough sleep and she drinks excessively.  On top of this already toxic combination, Judy takes pills to combat her nerves and she begins to suffer from depression.  Judy began taking pills at an early age in her career.  Her London stage manager has to step in to babysit and make sure she gets on the stage.  She is often late or she doesn’t show up!!  Her manager can’t keep Judy from falling down on stage!!  Judy begins a whirlwind romance with musician Mickey Deans and he will become her fifth husband.            

     There are minor discrepancies in the film’s version of events.  Garland and Deans did not marry until March 1969 and it was after her Christmas performances.  Deans is presented more sympathetically than as he was as a real person.  In reality, he was dreadful and a most unsuitable person for Judy.  Most of the film is an accurate portrait of Judy’s final months.  She died of a drug overdose on June 22 1969 at the age of 47 in Chelsea London.  4 1/2* (I liked this movie)

     
118 min, Bio directed by Rupert Goold and written by Tom Edge, Peter Quilter with Renee Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell, Michael Gambon, Richard Cordery, Royce Pierreson, Darci Shaw, Andy Nyman, Daniel Cerqueira, Bella Ramsey, Lewin Lloyd, Tom Durant Pritchard, John Dagleish, Adrian Lukis.

Note:  Imdb 6.8* out of 10* with 35,743 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 82% with 327 critic reviews 85% with 5777 audience scores, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 14,639 reviews, RollingStone 3 1/2* out of 5* Peter Travers, Roger Ebert 2* Monica Castillo.

 
Special Note:  Renee Zellweger was born in 1969, the year Judy Garland died.  Renee spent a year training with vocal coach Eric Vetro before shooting began.  She rehearsed with musical director Matt Dunkley for four months to master her vocals.  Make-up designer Jeremy Woodhead prosthetically extended the tip of Renee’s nose slightly to better match Judy’s profile.  Dark gray contact lenses were used to approximate Garland’s dark brown eyes.  A cropped walnut-brown wig was clipped to resemble Judy’s iconic hairdo.  Renee plans to release her first solo album with songs by Judy Garland.