JUDY from BBC Films, Calamity Films, Pathé UK, Twentieth Century Fox

JUDY
 from
 BBC Films, Calamity Films, Pathé UK, Twentieth Century Fox

✯✯✯✯                                                                Review by Astrid Galactic

Not the definitive Judy Garland story but worth seeing Judy none the less. Much more of a vignette of Judy's life. This is a BBC production that focused on Judy's latter days in London with only a peek at Judy's early life. Just enough for the viewer to have an understanding of what influenced her psyche throughout her life, warts and all. We know that Judy Garland was a very gifted and talented performer who suffered from many abuses, both towards her as well as of her own making. This film manages to provide a nice balance of showing us those conflicts with a bit of sweet sugar to keep the film from being nothing but sadness. I left the theater with feeling both sadness and happiness which is what I believe the filmmakers were striving for.

Renée Zellweger's performance was astounding as Judy. What impressed me even more was that she performed her own vocals. Have no idea how much of them may have been tweaked in the studio but they wouldn't have been that good if she didn't have some sort of musical talent in the first place. It was also very clear that Zellweger did an incredible amount of rehearsing and studying of her character before filming. She managed to capture Judy's nuances such as body movements and facial twitches that only enhanced the storytelling. Worth seeing the film just for Renée's performance if nothing else.

Must also give a mention about the wardrobe. Very accurate stylings for the period. It was evident that they actually studied that exact period in time as well as what Judy may have actually worn rather than lift what other's have portrayed in the past as too often happens in film. Lots of gorgeous fabrics such as brocades and colorful prints which were all very lush and appropriate for a star of her stature.

All in all, if you lower your expectations just a bit of the film before viewing, you will be well rewarded with what is still an interesting portrayal of a slice of life of the iconic Judy Garland.

Judy
2019
BBC Films, Calamity Films, Pathé UK, Twentieth Century Fox
Director: Rupert Goold
Writers: Tom Edge (Screenplay), Peter Quilter
*Based on the stage play "End of the Rainbow"

KICKING FINANCIAL ASS by Paul Christopher Dumont

KICKING FINANCIAL ASS

 by

 Paul Christopher Dumont

✯✯✯                                                                   Review by Astrid Galactic

Trying to keep your financial house in order is one of life's more daunting tasks yet ever so necessary. Kicking Financial Ass is a guide to help you do just that. Paul Christopher Dumont takes you through many of the various aspects of finances one must tackle from early in life through retirement as well as a way to psychologically look at how you look at finances and what you need to make you happy. 

Personally, I found this book to be a mixed bag of advice. Some very good while I found a few things not all that accurate or maybe forced to fit an outcome. Like so many other books on personal finance, it tended to lean towards being way too cookie cutter by totally ignoring so many other demographics and factors that exist in real life that just did not fit any of these guidelines. Some of the numbers were also way off. All too often, I found myself trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. Good advice for the square pegs but impossible for the round ones. 

Early on in the book, Dumont mentioned that his intended audience was for millennials. After reading the book, it really is best marketed to millennials as much of it didn't do a whole lot to be all that helpful for anyone older though could help those younger. That's all fine and good but I feel that there should be some notation of that on the cover. 

The book is not an one size fits all guide by any means but still contains some basic understanding that is very useful. Rather than nitpick on specifics, I think it's best to do what financial advisers always suggest (which, oddly wasn't mentioned in the book) and to diversify. In other words, diversify your financial reading material and hone it all down to what suits your own personal life circumstances. Also understand that what might work today in Dumont's suggestions may not work at all in the future. Extract what you can from the book to help set you off onto the road of personal finances but keep learning and paying attention to any changes and warnings along the way.


Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of the book for a fair and honest review.

(eBook courtesy of NetGalley)

Non-Fiction

Finance

Paperback, 290 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1999132606

Publisher: Paul Christopher Dumont

Release Date: August 6, 2019

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Amazon