‘Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story’ Review: Liza Minnelli’s Life Proves as Radiant as Her Art in Bruce David Klein’s Scintillating Documentary
variety.comOwen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic On November 16, 1964, when she was 18, Liza Minnelli stepped onto the stage of the London Palladium to join in a concert given by her mother, Judy Garland — the first time the two of them appeared onstage together.
Liza, the year before, had done an Off Broadway musical, but this performance was her entrée into the world spotlight. A famous album was made of the event (“Judy Garland: Live!
at the London Palladium”), and Garland was nothing if not magnanimous in providing the platform to launch Liza’s career. Yet in “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story,” Bruce David Klein’s scintillating documentary portrait of Minnelli, we see black-and-white clips from the Palladium concert, and one aspect of it is startling.
Liza, young as she was, already performs with a pizzazz worthy of her mother. But even as the event was presented as a passing-of-the-torch-song celebration, Garland keeps tapping Liza’s bulky microphone from the bottom so that it practically hits Liza in the face.
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