Judy – FRANK'S FILM REVIEW

Frank’s Film Review: Judy
⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5

Revisiting the movie Judy, directed by Rupert Goold and starring the incredible Renée Zellweger, feels like stepping into the raw, unfiltered reality of Judy Garland’s final days. It’s heartbreaking, moving, and, at times, painfully hard to watch. The film doesn’t shy away from showing the toll that fame, addiction, and a lifetime of being under the public lens took on her. It focuses on her last year, particularly her stint performing in London in 1968, while leaving some lingering questions about her ultimate demise—questions I wish had been explored more.

The film unravels Garland’s life compassionately, focusing on her struggles as a mother, a performer grasping for stability, and a woman trying to keep going despite being worn thin. It flashes back to her childhood in the merciless studio system, where she was propped up as MGM’s golden girl and poisoned by their relentless control. These glimpses into her early years as a young star, manipulated and molded by others, connect the dots to the woman we see in the present—exhausted, lonely, and still full of love for her children and her craft.

Renée Zellweger as Judy is everything. She doesn’t just play Judy; she becomes her. You can feel every ounce of Garland’s vulnerabilities in how Zellweger moves and how she carries this aching weariness beneath her glamorous facade. And her voice! Zellweger took on the daunting task of singing Garland’s iconic songs herself, and while no one could genuinely replicate Judy’s magic, Zellweger still delivers with raw, emotional authenticity. Her rendition of Over the Rainbow is unforgettable—fragile, powerful, and bittersweet all at the same time. It’s no wonder she walked away with the Academy Award for Best Actress—it’s one of those performances that stays with you long after the film ends.

But as much as I appreciated the film, it felt incomplete. While we see her struggles and heartbreak, the movie skirts around what ultimately led to her tragic death in 1969 from an accidental overdose. We’re left with an image of her performing her heart out in London, yet there’s no exploration of the moments leading up to her passing. That piece of her story feels missing, and as much as the film aims to honor her legacy, it leaves you wondering how things spiraled in the end.

Still, Judy is an emotional experience. It pulls back the curtain on a Hollywood legend, reminding us that behind the talent was a woman who faced more pain than anyone should. Zellweger’s performance is worth the watch alone, but the film as a whole is a bittersweet ode to Judy Garland—complex, tragic, and unforgettable, much like the woman herself.