End of the Rainbow feels like a prison drama set in London in 1969. Judy Garland is about to give a string of solo shows in the West End and she’s preparing at the Ritz under the supervision of her cruel boyfriend, Mickey Deans, who doubles as her publicist and drug dealer. Her British pianist, a friendly queen named Anthony, tries to protect her from Mickey’s manipulative bullying.

Judy, the captive, forfeits our sympathy straight away by complaining about everything. Her suite is too poky. She’s desperate for liquor to improve her mood. And she reacts with outrage when the Ritz manager asks for payment in advance so she forces him to back down by threatening to commit suicide. She rehearses the stunt by standing on a balcony and daring herself to dive into the street. An ugly but gripping scene.

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Next, she switches from booze to drugs and vows to cancel a BBC interview unless she gets the uppers she craves. Mickey feeds her a handful of pills and packs her off to Broadcasting House where she gives a skittish but bland interview to a fawning BBC inquisitor.

In the third scene, her craving has switched to alcohol again........

© The Spectator