Released: October 2018
Director: Bradley Cooper
Rated R
Run Time: 133 Minutes
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Genre: Romance/Drama/Music
Cast:
Lady Gaga: Ally
Bradley Cooper: Jack
Sam Elliott: Bobby
Andrew Dice Clay: Lorenzo
Rafi Gavron: Rez Gavron
Anthony Ramos: Ramon
Dave Chappelle: George ‘Noodles’ Stone
A few days ago, I had a discussion with someone about this website and the kinds of movies that I cover here and ones that I should probably cover. In case you haven’t noticed, most of the movies that I tend to cover here generally fall into certain genres that I really enjoy: Horror, action, science fiction, and other stuff like that. Occasionally, I will tackle the odd documentary and drama. It’s not an easy thing to step out of your comfort zone, especially if you’ve been covering certain kinds of movies for so long. You know what the funny thing is? Some of the best things happen when you open yourself up to challenges that you are not used to being in your wheelhouse. It’s a good thing to be challenged. It opens up possibilities that you never thought existed. One of those challenges is Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born. I’m going to tell you why you should see this movie.
A Star Is Born opens with singer Jackson Maine as he heads to a nearby bar for a drink. When he shows up he notices a local singer, Ally, performing a song from Edith Piaf. This catches Jackson’s eye and soon he’s brought back to meet her. There’s an immediate connection and then we see Jackson actually invite her to one of his performances. He then brings her on stage to help him sing one of her songs. After several appearances with Jack she’s noticed by a music producer and her career begins to take off. Unfortunately, Jack’s past struggles with addiction continue to haunt him and threaten to derail Ally and Jack’s relationship. This is a love story at its core and while this kind of story has been done many times before, Bradley Cooper manages to infuse this story with a fresh direction and fresh talent. It’s one of the most engaging and touching stories that I’ve seen a movie in a long time. While I will touch on the use of music in the film later on in this review, it’s a very important part of the story that helps to bring two lost souls together. That’s when the magic happens. It’s such a great story and it’s very well-realized here.
A Star Is Born is one of the most well-acted films that I’ve seen in years. Bradley Cooper is one of the best actors of his generation. While he’s usually known for playing comedic roles, his turn as Jack in this film is incredibly. He infuses the role with a quiet energy and humanity that’s just extraordinary. When the character in his best moments is someone you can root for, Bradley Cooper also shows the character at some really low points and delivers a performance that is both captivating and heartbreaking. Sam Elliott turns in one of the best performances of his career as Jack’s brother, Bobby. I’ve always been a huge fan of Sam’s. He’s a great actor, but he delivers some of this film’s most powerful moments. Actors like Andrew Dice Clay and Dave Chappelle are fantastic in this film. I’ll be truthful: I’ve underestimated Lady Gaga at almost every turn. When she first showed up, I didn’t think much of her and her music. Let me tell you: Lady Gaga is one of the most talented musicians in the industry, and while I’m not a big fan of her music, she is turning out to be one hell of an actress. Her turn as Ally is one of the most emotionally engaging and powerful performances I’ve seen in such a long time. Her chemistry with Bradley Cooper feels authentic and organic, which makes for a film that grabs you. Seeing Lady Gaga without all her make-up and outrageous outfits allows you to see the person underneath all that. Gaga brings such a graceful and soulful presence to the character that you just can’t help but fall in love with the character the way that Jack did.
When I said earlier that music was an important part of this film, I meant it. Bradley Cooper spent months learning how to sing, play the guitar and the piano, and when you see him step out in front of thousands of people in actual concert, he really belts it out. He wrote the song “Black Eyes” specifically for this movie and wow. He’s absolutely fantastic. Lady Gaga was always a talented musician, but I was completely caught off guard by the enormous range that she has as a singer. This was a film that was written for her, and not only does she deliver the acting chops, but she just crushes it with the music. The music is an important part of the story in terms of character development and emotional delivery, and when Cooper and Lady Gaga perform duets throughout the film, it is simply magic. The chemistry between the two allows them to dig deep down and deliver some of the strongest music I’ve ever heard. The music is so damn good that I ended up buying the soundtrack after I finished watching the movie. I usually don’t do that right after watching a movie. That’s how good it is.
The issues that I have with the film are minor nitpicks at best. The music producer that Ally runs into after one of Jack’s concerts is a bit of a douchebag, and while I can see how that plays into the overall story, I don’t like him at all. Honestly, that’s really the only gripe that I have with this film. Bradley Cooper has proven himself to be not only an excellent actor, but a fantastic director as well. As a first-time director, Cooper just hits it right out of the park, all the while acting and singing in the film. Some of the most talented people in the industry would have problems doing one or two of those things, but Bradley just goes all in and delivers one of the best movies of 2018. This is the kind of movie that you would take a date to. It really is. It’s romantic, dramatic, and it hits all the right notes, musically and acting-wise. It’s an emotionally powerful film that takes risks. I mean, Cooper actually shoots scenes during real live concerts. You don’t see that happen very often, and actually perform for an audience. I think A Star Is Born is an absolutely wonderful film that you should check out. The music is amazing while Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are captivating. Sometimes it really DOES pay to step out of your comfort zone, and I’m glad I did.
My Final Recommendation: 9.5/10. Highly recommended.