ONLY GARLAND IS GARLAND

Having read glowing reviews of Judy,  I broke my rule and went to a local cineplex to see the film. I can't say it was bad, but it wasn't good either. Renee Z was excellent in her role, but she wasn't Judy Garland anymore than Judy Davis was Judy Garland in the 2001 TV bio. While she sometimes looked and sounded like Garland, her singing voice did not have Judy's unique and magical quality. I think it was a mistake to let Renee do her own singing, as she came across as a talented performer, but not a musical giant which Judy was. Sadly I think too many young people will go away saying, "I don't get it." which they would if they heard Judy's voice. The movie went on too long without a musical number and the soundtrack was not always clear. I feel certain the producers could have found teen-agers that looked more like Judy and Mickey Rooney, and a senior actor who did a better Louis B. Mayer. A major flaw was that lack of comedy. Judy Garland was famous for her wit and one liners and even in the depths of despair came up with much quoted zingers. (Check any Jack Paar interview.) I don't know if there is any truth in the climax of the film. If there is, it must have been an amazing moment. If there isn't, the screenwriter should be ashamed of having written it. For a Judy thrill, go to YouTube and look up Judy singing, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."