Movie: Judy (2019)**

Judy is a based on actual events film that focuses on the final months of Judy Garland's life.

I really didn't like the movie as a whole, but I was very impressed with Rene Zelwegger's performance. She was able to melt away with the help of makeup and styling, but all that was left on the screen was Judy Garland at her messiest. Well done, Rene. To my surprise, Jessie Buckley popped onto the screen, which is funny because I watched the last half of Wild Rose starring Buckley right before Judy.

Judy makes an odd-couple double feature with Wild Rose actually. One movie about a female performer with two kids finding herself another is about a female performer with two kids losing herself.

The writing and editing could have been done better. Some scenes came across to me as if the director/editor let them go on too long. I found the flashback scenes to be weird. Flashbacks should fill you in on unexplained details, but just they left me with more questions.  

I watched this review by Be Kind Rewind and I have to agree with certain points: 1. The movie misses the opportunity to show why Judy was important and not just a sad old out-of-work star of days gone by. 2. The film sandpapers over the drug and alcohol abuse, all the way to her death. 

I don't need to see this movie ever again, but I would recommend it to the right person. And I will make an effort to watch the movies that were recommended in the Be Kind Rewind review because I actually do want to know more about Judy Garland. I give this movie two stars**.

Movie: Wild Rose (2018)***

Wild Rose is a film about a woman, who just released from prison returns to her wild ways, including her reckless pursuit to be a country singer in Nashville, until she finds herself at the mental crossroads of being a good parent and pursuing her dreams.

This movie is a woman finding herself story. One of the things that makes this story different is that it is set in Glasgow, when most woman finding herself stories are about Americans. Of course, I do watch mostly American movies. Another thing that sets this one apart, is that Rose makes a ton of mistakes, which is kind of annoying, but the story is written so well, that she gets out of those situations or they resolve in logical ways so I can't get mad about it. What makes Wild Rose like other typical woman-finding-herself stories is that it all works out in the end. She really was a hot mess who saw no fault in her own and didn't apologize for much throughout most of the movie, but she somehow found herself surrounded by good, supportive people. Lucky Rose.

I really enjoy how this movie was styled. The camera captured rich coloring and high contrasts in most of the scenes, which gives the film a sense of depth. Personal styling looked authentic. Even Rose in her white cowboy boots, which must have been comfortable because she was always running. There is one really beautiful and simply styled scene when she comes back from London and is standing in the kitchen with her daughter. Lovely.

I thought, but didn't realize until I read about the movie later that Jessie Buckley, the actress who plays Rose, is fully and totally singing the songs. She manages to be an amazing singer and an impressive actress. Julie Walters plays her mother and you have seen her a hundred times in a hundred other films. She was perfect in this one. I will probably download this soundtrack as soon as I'm done posting this.

This was a good movie. I will watch it again, and would recommend it as a double feature with Gloria or Brittney Runs a Marathon. Three Stars***
I watched this movie on a DVD I checked out from the library.