this is one of those solo turns where the star performance matters more than the story, and Renee Zellweger, playing the legendary singer Judy Garland in her sad last months – broke, anxious, drunk, rueful, but still in it – gives it everything she's
Rupert Goold sometimes tries a little too hard to make the material cinematic, but he certainly works beautifully with Renee Zellweger, who brings off a bravura performance that even the notoriously sharp-witted Judy Garland would have applauded
Renee Zellweger subsumes herself completely in the role; what most invokes the famously troubled star is the mix of supreme stubbornness and tender-hearted vulnerability she projects in nearly every scene
"Judy" is an enjoyable, sincere attempt to present a multi-faceted portrait of a Hollywood legend, bolstered by a strong Renée Zellweger. Yet it never really finds the subtleties and depths to make it compelling and the 'inspirational' ending
"Judy" has brains, heart and courage; a pleasant surprise and a revelation; Indeed, what could have been a predictable yawn of a true story about a gifted performer that couldn't tame her own demons instead feels fresh and intimate
by Johanna Schneller [The Globe and Mail ]
