It’s official: Bradley Cooper is equally as bold as the gun-wielding talking raccoon he voices for Marvel. Not only did he take a huge gamble in his choice for his directorial debut to develop a new version of Hollywood classic A Star Is Born that’s been sitting in development limbo for years, he went as far to involve himself in the production of the music-centric film’s soundtrack, co-producing and performing much of the songs alongside his co-star Lady Gaga. His attention to detail results in a stunning sense of authenticity to their respective characters through filming the concert scenes at actual live festivals, including shows headlined by Gaga at Coachella and Glastonbury.
The real-life Stefani Germanotta is no stranger to the acing world, but this remake is pretty much her first starring role. Suffice to say, her legions of “little monsters” will not be disappointed in her performance here, let alone this film that’s both joyful and gut-wrenching at different points.
For someone whose public persona is so inspired by Andy Warhol and self-aware looks at celebrity, Gaga’s got no problem feeling naturally charismatic and relatable as Ally, a waitress who performs at a drag nightclub as a side job (an ode to the real Gaga’s come up in the gay/drag community).
Cooper’s Jackson Maine, a country-rock superstar with an alcohol issue even worse than Princess Bean’s and a lingering hearing problem, stops by the club one night after a show for a and is impressed not just by Ally’s vocal ability, but also her songwriting skill. Ally falls for Jack herself hard enough to punch a dude harassing him, but she’s discouraged about pursuing music full-time due to rejections based on her appearance.
Andrew Dice Clay is very engaging as Ally’s father, a former Frank Sinatra-influenced crooner in his own right who realizes that talent runs in his family and convinces Ally to attend a Maine show, where Jackson invites her on stage to perform “Shallow”, the song they shared the night they met. Her considerable vocal heroics are enough to land her a spot on his tour, while Jack’s older brother Bobby (Sam Elliot) is getting more concerned about his younger sibling’s personal issues. When a rift forms between the two brothers, Ally becomes the ailing rocker’s full-time companion, and Cooper and Gaga’s chemistry together is especially evident here.
Ally’s personal prospects reach new heights when she becomes involved with a dance-pop producer named Rez (Rafi Gavron), who makes over her image and aides her push as a solo act, while Maine takes advice from his old musician friend Noodles (Dave Chappelle) after another nightly bender. The screenplay does a nice job portraying Ally’s struggle to be true to her own artistic goals, as Jack hopes for.
I should mention that as fantastic as Gaga naturally is at a club-friendly sound, it’s a bit of a shame that we have to revert back to the usual cliché of automatically casting pop music as the de facto villain yet again. Much like how John Legend, as an unintended antagonist, performed a fun pop number with Ryan Gosling’s jazz pianist in La La Land, Ally’s nu-disco number on a Saturday Night Live performance “Why Did You Do That?” is electric. If this is supposed to be “bad guy production”, then I don’t wanna be good.
This version of Star follows its expected narrative of one person in a couple rising with the other in gradual decline, but Cooper’s approach to it (including co-writing the script) is deeply intimate and affecting. The cast, especially the two leads, come off incredibly natural and believable, and that combined with Matthew Libatique’s cinematography help to make many scenes come off more like a documentary than a cliched musical drama, even though it’s sticking within a pre-established framework.
Even at his most broken and bitter, Cooper gives Jackson Maine genuine warmth and real heart, while Gaga’s Ally is vulnerable, passionate, funny and personable when needed. Even though this is a perfect role for her to essentially be herself and let her guard down, she’s always a powerful presence on screen.
You’ll find yourself badly pulling for these two to have as much of a happy result as possible. But even with all of the joyful and funny moments Ally and Jack have together and the awesome performances they put on (as you’d imagine, this movie’s soundtrack is amazing), you can still sense the problems in the background building up.
Once they come to a head, everything that leads to Ally’s performance of “I’ll Never Love” is like a shot to the stomach. And there’s also plenty to be said for how effective the supporting cast is utilized here, especially in Elliot and Clay’s performance. Despite their limited screen time, they get as much out of it as possible to leave lasting impressions.
The one complaint I could make is that more screen time could have been given to help better define some sudden plot points that come a bit unexpectedly, but the final cut is still easily something I can happily recommend. This version of A Star Is Born is that rare modern film that tries to recall successful elements from movie eras of the past, and actually succeeds. Any movie that can make me forget I’m watching the exploits of fictional people, no matter how briefly, is worth checking out.
It gets a major thumbs up from me, so if you’d had the chance to see it yourself, stop by @Official_FAN on Twitter and share your feelings!