A Star Is Born (2018) - Movie Review

Most people will associate the remake of A Star is Born with the 1976 film starring Kris Kristofferson and Barbara Streisand. But the film has much deeper roots in the infancy of Hollywood. The original film was produced in 1937 starring Janet Gaynor and Frederic March. The film was originally about Hollywood, although the plot was basically the same. An aging actor discovers a rising star, launching her career as his own becomes consumed by alcohol and tragedy. The film was first reincarnated in 1954 starring Judy Garland alongside James Mason. The lead characters, for the first two films, were Vicki Lester and Norman Maine. In 1976, the background moved from Hollywood to the music industry. The names of the lead actors changed as well. But the story was basically the same. The latest iteration is most closely tied to the 1976 version, although they did give a nod to the origins of this film by naming the male lead "Jackson Maine." The name was an obvious link to the origins of this story.

Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) is an aging rock star. His performances are fueled by drugs and alcohol. His world is tightly managed by his older brother, Bobby (Sam Elliott). Bobby helps Jack hold things together. Jack has a chance encounter with a cabaret singer in a drag bar following one of his concerts. Ally (Lady Gaga) has incredible talent, but little self-confidence. She has been told her nose is too big and that she doesn't have the "look" to make it in the music industry. Jack and Ally fall deeply in love as Jack helps propel Ally into the spotlight. She is an instant success. As her fame grows, Jack's diminishes. His substance abuse and tinnitus become more than he can manage. Ally's love is sincere. While she could easily leave Jack behind, her love and commitment are enduring. But tragedy is never far from this story of love, relationships and addiction.

A Star is Born is a film that has been nominated for Oscars every time it has been made. It has won some hardware every time it has been produced with two of three films garnering at least one Oscar. This film seems like it was made with the Oscars in mind. It is the same basic story. The Academy seems to be suckers for this sort of thing. It is likely to garner some awards and definitely an Oscar nomination or two. I am not sure if it will win. The movie was decent, although the pacing seemed off at times. The film ran a bit long at two hours, fifteen minutes, and it felt long at times. The narrative arc was there, along with flawed characters that we love to love. I don't like the ending. I think that is the point. But I did like the way the ending was constructed, so I felt a bit of resolution at the end. There was a scene in the film between Jack and his brother where Bobby says "you stole my voice." There is an element of a torch passing that seemed to be at the heart of this story. Even if that heart is a broken heart.

I think there will be mixed reviews on Lady Gaga's performance. I thought she was slightly off at times, but her chemistry with Bradley Cooper seemed intense at times. She will probably get some rave reviews, but I think there will be some that trash her, as well. I think her performance was aided greatly between the editing and close up shots. Her music speaks for itself. She was cast right in the sense that she is a talented musician that doesn't fit the typical mold of the record industry. Although she relied heavily on her own shtick to make it in real life. Cooper was phenomenal. Is there anything this guy can't do? First of all, his music was pretty dang good. Even when he was playing to a live audience. That is impressive enough. We know he is a talented actor, and he delivered on that note as well. The scenes where he is high or drunk rang true. He helped elevate Gaga. Sam Elliott and Andrew Dice Clay were also interesting choices who were well cast. Seeing Elliott and Cooper together on screen, I believed they were brothers. They have a similar quality that gave the casting credibility. Clay wasn't the abrasive comedian we all knew decades ago. His role as father to Gaga's character was interesting. Like a caring, single dad who wants to protect the center of his universe.

A Star is Born received an R rating from the MPAA. The film doesn't delve deep into substance abuse as much as having the subject as a driving force. There is plenty of pill popping (or snorting) as well as copious consumption of alcohol. It is an integral, contextual part of the story. There are adult themes, death, and sexuality. This includes nudity in several scenes. One very brief scene shows Lady Gaga with full frontal nudity in a bathroom. The subject matter of this film is deep. It is a tragedy like all the previous iterations of this story. The story was never designed for consumption by children. I would recommend mature teens or older for this film.

I am convinced Bradley Cooper conceived this film with the Oscars in mind. It will get nominated for Best Picture and Best Original Song, possibly winning the latter. It may get nominated for cinematography. In any event, it is a solid story that is enjoying an amazing 8.6 rating on IMDb right now. Gaga and Cooper both have a lot of fans. This bump will certainly not last. The other films are all pretty much in the 7's these days. High 7s. I am not sure where this film will be when the dust settles, but certainly not that high. The music was okay, but not spectacular. I really only enjoyed two songs. Far From the Shallows and I'll Never Love Again. I think the latter will get the Oscar, even though Shallows seemed to get more play during the movie as the song that launches Ally's career. The pacing issues and the issues I had with Gaga's timing did not dampen my enjoyment of this film. I would still recommend seeing it in the theaters. But I am going with a more reasonable rating of 8/10. The film will eventually settle into that range, I am certain.

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