Judy, the Judy Garland biopic, hits theaters tonight but ATXgossip was lucky enough to see a preview of the film last week.

The film, starring University of Texas alum Renee Zellweger, focuses on the final year of Garland’s life, which I knew very little about. And here’s a fact I forgot about: Liza Minnelli isn’t Garland’s only daughter. She has a younger daughter named Lorna Luft, who starred as Paulette in Grease 2 – a movie I actually love, though I know I stand alone.

However, I don’t believe I will stand alone in calling this movie marvelous. Zellweger’s performance is brilliant; one of her best performances by far.

 

Variety printed a statement that I one hundred percent agree with:

“Judy appears to seek authenticity through empathy rather than mere imitation.”

I believe that’s why Zellweger’s performance is so riveting. There’s a good chance she’s a pretty fragile person in real life, much like the woman she’s portraying. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t have to stretch her abilities to take on this legendary icon. I’m just saying there are moments when it feels they meld into one. And that’s a good thing.

Additionally, I appreciate and enjoy the aspects of the script that were added to illustrate the times. And the dialogue that occurred behind closed doors when no one could know exactly what was said felt very authentic and real, unlike many films where elements are added to make the story more dramatic than it actually may have been.

I like to keep my review short, ’cause nobody’s got time to read a rambling review. So, let me conclude by saying this:

Judy is the best film I’ve seen so far this year.

Now, go see it and then get in touch with me so we can discuss.

In case you aren’t aware, Renee Zellweger was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in 2011.
Here are a few pics I snapped of her that evening.