'In the hands of Goold, Edge and Zellweger, the story blossoms into a heartbreaking journey of one abused soul reaching out to, and rejecting, nearly everyone that will have her.' Our review:
, the latest drama from director Rupert Goold and writer Tom Edge. In the biopic, aging legend Judy Garland runs across New York, and eventually across the globe, to keep working. Based on the playplays as a subdued rehashing of some of Garland’s most scandalous moments. In the hands of Goold, Edge and Zellweger, the story blossoms into a heartbreaking journey of one abused soul reaching out to, and rejecting, nearly everyone that will have her.
Flashing back and forth between the alcoholic final haze of Garland’s career and the pill-popping days of her youth, Garland’s darkest and loneliest days frame her existence. Frequently bordering on melodrama, Zellweger does her best to center the film on the individual, not the celebrity. In her best performance since, Zellweger disappears into the icon. Her usual on-screen traits—the curled lips, stamping feet and balled-up fist—are replaced with a justified rage that she wields like a whip.
The Garland-obsessed fan won’t learn a lot from watching this biopic, but education doesn’t appear to be the main goal of the filmmakers. The impact of the once golden girl on her family and her fans carries the most emotional punch. In the case of the latter, especially,Queer icons tend to be big-breasted divas with a lot of attitude and something to say. Both white gay men and beautiful women with power operate under the same oppression.
Zellweger shines. At this point in Garland’s career, she was a professional drinker and a lifelong smoker. Having recently undergone surgery on her vocal cords, Garland could no longer deliver the crystal clear notes that made her a star. Zellweger lets the uncertainty of higher notes and the tremble of sustained breaths stick out. Some songs are half-spoken to avoid reaching too far out of Garland’s limit.
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