InCinemas SG

Opening Date

09 Jan 2020

Rating

PG13 Some Coarse Language

Runtime

118 mins

Language

English - subtitles to be advised

Genre

Biography, Drama, History

Director

Rupert Goold

Cast

Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Rufus Sewell

Synopsis

Winter 1968 and showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in Swinging London to perform in a sell-out run at The Talk of the Town.

It is 30 years since she shot to global stardom in THE WIZARD OF OZ, but if her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown.

As she prepares for the show, battles with management, charms musicians, and reminisces with friends and adoring fans, her wit and warmth shine through. Even her dreams of romance seem undimmed as she embarks on a courtship with Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband.

And yet Judy is fragile. After working for 45 of her 47 years, she is exhausted; haunted by memories of a childhood lost to Hollywood; gripped by a desire to be back home with her kids. Will she have the strength to go on?

Featuring some of her best-known songs, including the timeless classic ‘Over the Rainbow’, JUDY celebrates the voice, the capacity for love and the sheer pizzazz of “the world’s greatest entertainer."

Reviews

By Jason Lin 09 Jan 2020

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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Judy