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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 26 sepTember 2019
Renée Zellweger captures Garland’s

essence in ‘Judy’

By LINDSEY BAHR She is living out of suitcases alive again with a clear-
Associated Press in hotels and dragging her eyed, deeply emphatic
Renée Zellweger is so unde- kids around to be in her and captivating portrayal
niably perfect as Judy Gar- low-paying gigs. There is that elegantly balances
land that it almost makes something unspeakably her profound sadness and
up for the shortcomings of sad about the fact that vulnerability with that glo-
the film around it. “Judy “ is Garland, despite all of her riously bawdy and dark
itself a fine and imperfect success, her talent, her sense of humor. Zellweger’s
look at some of Garland’s fame and over 40 years voice might not be an ex-
last years of life, but it really of giving everything to the act match of Garland’s,
should have been some- performance, still had no but the soul and spirit that
This image released by Roadside Attractions shows Renée-
Zellweger as Judy Garland in a scene from “Judy,” in theaters thing transcendent — Zell- place to call home. She is she brings along with her
on Sept. 27. weger’s performance de- a vaudeville vagrant. Her lovely approximation will
Associated Press mands it. home is on stage, her fam- certainly elicit more than a
Inspired by Peter Quilter’s ily is the audience. And at few goosebumps.
play “End of the Rainbow,” the moment, she’s the “un- Some of the best moments
‘’Judy” drops in on Garland reliable” and “uninsurable” are her on stage, or just
in late 1968 and early 1969, bad seed that no one in about to go out convinced
another down moment in her home country wants to that she can barely speak
the star’s turbulent life. Gar- deal with. let alone sing only to turn
land at this point is 46 and The film cuts between it on for the crowd sec-
looks older — a lifetime of the present moment and onds later. But there’s also
pills, smoking, weight loss, the set of “The Wizard of a touching sequence with
weight gain and booze has Oz,” in which audiences a few of her fans who give
taken its toll and she has get a crash course on the her a much-needed night
been whittled down to a psychological and emo- of normalcy and also gives
wisp of a person. She also tional stranglehold studio a nod to her importance in
in the midst of a conten- chief Louis B. Mayer (Rich- the LGBTQ community.
tious divorce from produc- ard Cordery) had on his The film leaves something
er Sid Luft (Rufus Sewell), 15-year-old employee to be desired with basic
who gambled away all her (played with verve by Dar- facts, however. It assumes
money at the race track, ci Shaw). Working from a much, glosses over some
somehow still got the house screenplay by Tom Edge, and seems to skip over
and is trying to get custody director Rupert Goold pres- crucial developments —
of their two young chil- ents Garland’s story lovingly like how Mickey Deans
dren, Lorna (Bella Ramsey and without judgment. He (Finn Wittrock) went from
of “Game of Thrones”) and takes time to show the per- random admirer to fifth
Joey. Liza Minnelli (Gem- son behind the pain (and husband. It also ends six
ma-Leah Devereux) at this the headlines), something months before her death.
point is grown and pursuing that barely anyone in her In other words, it’s up to the
her own career in showbiz. circle seemed to offer her viewer to fill in the blanks
Garland’s life in the pres- at the time. But it’s Zellwe- (or find a good biography
ent is painfully unsettled. ger who makes her come to help afterward). q
Simpson breaks from

country with ‘Sound & Fury’

By SCOTT BAUER “Sound & Fury.”
Associated Press It serves as the soundtrack
Sturgill Simpson, “Sound & to a Netflix anime film of
Fury” (Elektra) the same name being
Forget country, outlaw released the same day.
country or whatever Stur- The record was recorded
gill Simpson’s genre-push- primarily at the McGuire This cover image released
ing music has been cat- Motor Inn in Waterford, by Elektra shows “Sound &
egorized as. Michigan, because, well, Fury” by Sturgill Simpson.
“Sound & Fury” is melt- why not? Associated Press
your-face-off fuzz rock. The track “Make Art Not even as he won “Best
Simpson describes it as Friends” is as close to a Country Album” and “Al-
“sleazy, steamy rock ‘n’ mission statement from bum of the Year” at the
roll” and he’s right. Simpson as he’s ever 2016 Grammy’s. If there
“Sound & Fury” is as much come. were any fans who were
country music as Dolly He may not make many hoping he would turn
Parton is punk rock. friends from those wanting more country and less
Sometimes when an art- more country from “Sound rock, they are going to be
ist takes a left turn, they & Fury,” but it’s clear Simp- sorely disappointed, an-
come off as a poser. Not son doesn’t care much. gry maybe, with this one.
Simpson. Simpson was never a con- Maybe that’s just what
He feels right at home with ventional country singer, Simpson wanted.q