2018 | Dir. Bradley Cooper | 135 Minutes
"Music is essentially twelve notes between any octave. Twelve notes and the octave repeats. It's the same story told over and over. All the artist can offer the world is how they see those twelve notes."
By chance, talented amateur singer Ally leaves a lasting impression on country music superstar Jackson Maine when he sees Ally perform a drag bar. After convincing Ally to join him on stage to perform an original song that she had written, Ally becomes an overnight success. The pair fall deeply in love but their relationship is under constant pressure from Jack's objection to Ally's career choices and his personal struggles with depression and addiction.
Marking Hollywood's fourth take on A Star is Born, Bradley Cooper's directorial debut is clearly Cooper's passion project considering the amount of heart evident on screen in every frame. The love story that drives the picture is genuinely moving as is the inevitable tragedy inherent in every version of the story. Musical sequences are executed with impressive technical mastery, ranging in scale from small and intimate to massive and exhilarating. The songs, many of which were written by Lady Gaga and Cooper, are bona fide earworms. The moment Ally joins Jack on stage to perform her star-making song is pure cinematic magic, an instantly iconic sequence for the ages.
Unfortunately, the rest of the picture following that moment is spent coming down from that high, never to reach it again. Though surely by design, what remains is a fairly standard critique of stardom and celebrity ego, with Ally following the path of a generic albeit wildly successful pop singer and Jack overtaken by his deep-seated trauma and alcoholism. The wisdom Jack ultimately imparts on Ally is to use her voice to say something meaningful while she has the attention of the world, but his message never cuts any deeper than that.
The fantastic chemistry the two leads share is nothing short of remarkable. Lady Gaga is extraordinary as Ally, perfectly showcasing her authenticity, her vulnerability, and her raw musical talent. Gaga's innate charisma makes it remarkably easy to fall in love with Ally, providing a unique natural energy to her performance. Taking on the role of a self-destructive FM-country star on his way out, Cooper turns in a reliable but relatively standard performance with just enough quietly tormented inner life to stay engaging. The most impressive aspect of Cooper's performance is his commitment to look and sound the part of a country rock artist, without a doubt the product of dedicated research and training. The supporting cast features Andrew Dice Clay as Ally's lovable working class father, Sam Elliott as Jack's long suffering brother and manager, and Dave Chappelle in what amounts to an extended cameo appearance as Jack's supportive best friend.
Though not an entirely fresh retelling of a familiar story, A Star is Born is a well-crafted and emotionally resonant picture with an exceptional soundtrack. Its simple but moving love story is the feature's greatest strength. The film's biggest flaw is that it does not fully illustrate its most interesting idea: the responsibility of pop artists to deliver meaningful art considering the powerful but fleeting nature of their influence on the world.
FRAGMENTS
- The amusing dialogue in the drag bar scenes were mostly improvised
- Some of the musical performances were filmed at the 2017 Coachella Festival
- Jack and Ally's dog in the film is played by Bradley Cooper's dog Charlie
SUPPLEMENTAL STUFF
- Video: Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper "Shallow"
- Video: Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper "Shallow" (Live in Las Vegas on January 26, 2019)
- Video: Lady Gaga "Always Remember Us This Way"
- Video: Lady Gaga "Look What I Found"
- Video: Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper "I'll Never Love Again"
MCU CONNECTIONS
- Bradley Cooper (Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3)
