October
MUST-SEE OF THE MONTH
Judy
12A
Renée Zellweger absolutely dazzles as
tragic Hollywood starlet Judy Garland
DIRECTOR Rupert Goold
starring Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Rufus Sewell
The life of Judy Garland is one of
the most bittersweet tales in showbiz.
The child star’s early talent saw her
plucked from obscurity on the vaudeville circuit
to appear as Dorothy in 1939’s The Wizard
of Oz – and sing the evergreen theme song,
‘Over the Rainbow’. But there was always pain
behind the megawatt smile, and after a later
career of substance abuse, financial straits and
a revolving door of husbands, Garland tragically
succumbed to an overdose aged just 47.
Judy gives it to you straight. Set in 1969 – as
Garland performs a London residency, just a
few months before her death – Rupert Goold’s
biopic touchingly explores both sides of the
coin through the singer’s flashbacks. And even
compared to the recent unflinching biopics
of Elton John and Freddie Mercury, the term
‘warts-and-all’ has never been more apt, as the
actress/singer shows us both the boom times of
her Hollywood hot-streak in the 1940s, and the
tragic figure she has become, spilling pill bottles
as she staggers down the corridor to yet another
stage. This fascinating, contradictory figure
is a huge role for any actress to bite off, but
Renée Zellweger is the key to this astonishing
drama, delivering a performance that is sweet,
sad, defiant and driven by deep research.
Somewhere over the rainbow, awards may lie.
4
OCT
MOV IE M ATHEM ATICS
+
Songs
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Flashbacks
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Romance
Tragedy
= Judy
Watch the trailer
or when accompanied by an adult 15 Suitable for ages 15+ 18 Adults only
odeon.co.uk 11