Genre: Romance; Drama; Musical
Directed by: Bradley Cooper
Written by: Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper and Will Fetters, based on 1954 and 1976 screenplays
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga and Sam Elliot
In Theaters: October 5, 2018 (USA)
It took me days since I watched A Star Is Born to write this review. I was overwhelmed at the time but I feared it could be just "fresh fireworks"... but almost one week later, I remind A Star Is Born as one of the best movies I've seen this year, so far. More than a drama-musical, this remake of a classic tale of a huge fading star who takes on a yet unknown promising artist is a small portray of the stages of stardom that might relate to both music, television or cinema industry.
Bradley Cooper is the leading man here both in front and behind the camera: it is his directorial debut from a screenplay he also co-wrote and it features his best acting performance to date. Cooper is amazing as the troubled Jackson whose addictions and health issues turned him into a fading rock/country star. Cooper's Jackson might not be living a career high-point at all but his name is still a huge one and you can see a huge crowds at his concerts. Still... there was something missing, so he goes after a drink and enters a gay bar - then he listens to Ally (played by Gaga) singing and he meets her... I won't write about what happens next, but the rest of the whole movie his about the strong bound between Jackson and Ally: both are poets trying to compose their music, both trying to fnd their melody... and they fall in love for each other. And everything happens in such a natural way that you only realise "man, it all happen way too sudden" when you're back home from theatre - and Cooper's assured direction is the one to blame.
In fact, everything in A Star Is Born seems to "just happen". Nothing sounds too forced and Cooper is smart enough to not sacrifice the narrative in order to focus on a certain aspect of the rise to stardom / fall from grace of an artist. He keeps in mind that the main point of the movie is to tell a love story and how they influenced each other in the artistic field. It's a beautiful and down-to-eartch portray of a relationship that feels more authentic than the previous adaptations of A Star Is Born.
But the big highlight of the movie isn't Cooper's pitch-perfect soulful performance or the winning narrative style of the movie: the movie belongs to Gaga! It's a knock-out performance! She's great when she's acting and she's amazing while embodying Ally when she's singing. I wasn't expecting her to be so relaxed in her first big role on the big-screen. She's a magnetic presence and she's so stripped from her stage/celebrity persona without all the makeup and wigs, full of insecurity, a dreamy girl, a charismatic girl next door - she has become Ally! And the songs? You can see Gaga has also exceled in the lyrics and hearing her singing just gave me shivers.
And let's not forget Sam Elliot acting turn as Jackson's older brother: it's a subtle performance full of inner strenght that echoes through his deep voice. It's not showy, but it's a supporting performance that won't be easy to forget - and his final monologue is touching!
Featuring an impressive cinematography work, fine editing and a refined sound work, A Star Is Born feels great, looks nice and sounds amazing, making for an impressive first film for Bradley Cooper, the director, who found his voice in Lady Gaga.
RATING: 4,5 / 5
Oscar potential categories:
Oscar potential categories:
- Best Picture
- Best Director (Bradley Cooper)
- Best Actor (Bradley Cooper)
- Best Actress (Lady Gaga)
- Best Supporting Actor (Sam Elliot)
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Editing
- Best Cinematography
- Best Sound Editing
- Best Sound Mixing
- Best Song - "Shallow"
- Best Song - "I'll Never Love Again"
- Best Song - "Maybe It's Time"
Comments