She’s off to see the world

As Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland had a breathtaking girlish elegance that mesmerized me even when I was a child. It wasn’t just her hypnotic singing voice — it was the way in which she looked at the world, as if everything around her was an unbelievable magical illusion. She was as enthralled by Oz as we were, and never once did she betray her audience with a winking self-awareness, the way many child stars do these days with their aw-shucks-I’m-in-a-movie mellifluence. Judy became a household name because she understood that moviemaking was about sharing the enchantment.

In Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, that enchantment is more palpable than ever. The filmmakers of this Emmy-winning TV mini-series not only channelled Judy Garland’s spirit, they brought the legendary actress to life. Tammy Blanchard, in her film debut, plays the young Judy, while renowned Australian actress Judy Davis resurrects the manic, drug-addicted adult Judy; both possess an uncanny resemblance to the star, and they embody her so brilliantly and effortlessly that watching them is akin to participating in a seance. You’re not just watching a movie about Judy, you’re watching Judy.

With impressive meticulousness, the biopic documents Judy’s unexpected ascendancy to fame and her tragic downward spiral towards mental and financial desperation. Hollywood was an abusive lover she had an unhealthy on-and-off relationship with. Consumed by an overpowering drug addiction and the feverish pressures of showbiz life, Judy was eventually left with nothing but a ghostly shell of herself. The movie never judges the star, nor does it patronize her; it shows us who Judy Garland was: a woman willing to sacrifice herself for her dreams.

Grade: A