Renee Zellweger places herself firmly at the front of the upcoming Oscar race with a must-see turn as Judy Garland in a film about the showbiz legend's latter years.
Judy takes place in the late 60s, when the 40-something cash-strapped actress and singer, facing the prospect of losing custody of her younger children, is forced to accept an offer to perform a series of concerts in London.
There she is welcomed by adoring fans but her considerable demons, many a direct result of a hugely exploitative childhood, begin to pile up and threaten her ability to perform.
The challenge with any showbiz biopic, especially one about an icon, is to supersede the melodramatic, TV movie-esque conventions that plague the genre. In terms of Zellweger's performance, Judy absolutely achieves this.
The actor offers up an artful mixture of impression and interpretation that must be seen to be appreciated. Aided by some subtle makeup effects (the nose and eyebrows really sell it), Zellweger does an amazing job of evoking Garland's kooky spirit and propulsive vocal abilities. She even manages to walk like Garland.
