After all, one’s life would mean nothing if nothing came out of it at the very end. For Garland, she could always rely on her mesmerising voice, if nothing else, to symbolise her life story.
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Many would look up to celebrities and icons, especially those who were classified as legends of the entertainment industry. Most biopics would focus on their early career endeavours that eventually led to their destined success. This week in cinemas, we have a rather different look at American actress and singer Judy Garland’s last phase of her career and personal life before her eventual demise at the age of 47.
It would be no wonder that Rupert Goold’s Judy, based on the play “End of the Rainbow”, chose to portray the bitter aspect of showbiz and Garland’s struggles with its difficulties. Garland departed at a fairly young age, which might be a strong contrast to her girl-next-door image with her iconic role in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz as Dorothy Gale.
Working long hours without lunch breaks, her freedom when she was a teenage breakout star was further restricted in terms of her diet that also affected her quality of sleep. Goold introduced select flashback sequences of her in her teenage years whenever adult Garland faced a certain dilemma in the film. This included the moment when she had a slice of cake in a restaurant as she quickly recollected how the studio used to restrict her consumption of cake due to fear of her putting on weight.
The focus of the film on her bitter late years might not be appreciated by some viewers, but it provided a perfect platform for Renee Zellweger to shine with a lively performance as Garland. Zellweger’s portrayal of the late actress contributed significantly towards the film’s quality to excel. This would be further bolstered with her recent win at the Golden Globes for her role in Judy.
For those who were expecting a musical song-filled two hours production, it might be disappointing to be advised that there would only be a handful of numbers. When they do take place, her performances were nothing less than spectacular and charming.
In the final chapter of Judy, it could be implied that no matter how tough the circumstances, there would always be a part within each of us to give our very best. After all, one’s life would mean nothing if nothing came out of it at the very end. For Garland, she could always rely on her mesmerising voice, if nothing else, to symbolise her life story.
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