Director: Bradley Cooper Writer(s): Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters Cast: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga. Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle, Sam Elliott
‘Maybe its time to let the old ways die.’
In an age where audiences are subjected to countless reboots, remakes, re-hashes, reimagining’s of movies and franchises every year, it isn’t hard to imagine that Hollywood may have actually run out of new ideas. So when I first heard that Bradley Cooper was set to co-write, direct and star in a new movie called ‘A Star Is Born’, this peaked my interest. But when I found out that it was the 3rd remake of a movie first released in 1937 (followed by remakes in 1954 starring Judy Garland and James Mason and in 1976 starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson) my heart sank. Although I haven’t seen any of the previous versions, I couldn’t help but think what could Cooper do differently than anything that had come before? How could he make his vision stand out from the crowd? Or would it end up becoming another generic story of the pitfalls of success and fame? Well, I didn’t realise just how wrong I was going to be…
This version of A Star Is Born had been stuck in development hell for the better part of 10 years. Over the course of this time, many different big-name directors, actors and singers (Clint Eastwood, Beyoncé, Christian Bale and Tom Cruise to name but a few) have been attached to the project at some point or another, but all failing to come to fruition for many different reasons. All the warning signs were there. It takes a lot of effort and skill to create a good movie from such a difficult production, especially from a first time director, but Bradley Cooper really digs deep and pulls it out of the hat!
Following a similar story to the 1954 release, Cooper’s version of A Star Is Born sees Lady Gaga’s (yep! That Lady Gaga!) Ally as she crosses paths with Jackson Maine (Cooper) after a series of knockbacks by studio heads, she has resolved herself to a life of singing in a drag bar. But when Jackson sees her sing, he is instantly captivated by her and realises she is much better than the life she currently leads and decides to bring her on stage with him at one of his own concerts which catapults her life into a new direction. All the while, Jackson is suffering from tinnitus and slowly becoming deaf and using alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism, Jackson comes to realise that Ally might be a way of turning his life around.
A movie such as this lives and dies on the on-screen chemistry of the leading pair. If the relationship isn’t believable, the rest of the movie is meaningless. Luckily, Cooper and Gaga are mesmerising as two people who fall in love with other and the talent they both possess. Both Cooper and Gaga play equal part in making it entirely believable that Jackson and Ally could fall in love, and both put in stellar performances while doing it, even if Cooper does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to the truly heart-breaking moments.
If anyone, like me, has any notion or worries that Lady Gaga may not be right for this movie, I urge you to leave them at the door. From the moment she appears on screen, Gaga puts in a performance that manages to show off Ally’s vulnerability, while at the same time increasing confidence which is completely compelling. This seemingly mirrors Gaga’s own rise to fame as she too had to suffer at the hands of executives who liked her music but not her own personal image and urged her to change.
While the titular star in ‘A Star Is Born’ refers to Lady Gaga’s Ally, it is most definitely Bradley Cooper’s movie. Not only did he direct and co-write it, he also puts in the performance of a lifetime. With Maine showcasing the movie’s more difficult subjects, Cooper play him as a grown man who never actually grew up. Having suffered a difficult childhood, the loss of his parents at an early age and the constant touring and rock star lifestyle have meant that he is addicted to drugs and alcohol using them both as a mechanism to cope with his inner demons and waning health.
Gaga manages to hold her own when performing opposite Cooper, but he still manages to steal the show during an extremely uncomfortable Grammys upset that is sure to leave your cringing in your seats, and the inevitable breakdown is astonishing and utterly heart-breaking.
Without a doubt, the biggest draw of A Star Is Born is the music and the way it is represented on screen. With songs co-written by Lukas Nelson (Willie Nelson’s son) and Gaga herself, this is a soundtrack that speaks from the heart and every featured song has something to say. The live scenes are absolutely amazing. I have been to a lot of gigs in my time, and this is the first time I have felt that the whole live experience is believably portrayed on screen. This is mainly down to the approach that Cooper and Co have taken to filming these scenes. Given a limited time (8 minutes in one case) at festivals such as Glastonbury and Coachella, the movies sees Cooper and Gaga performing in front of real crowds with real bands. The opening act sees Cooper performing as Jackson Maine in front of one of these live audiences and the energy is palpable. Any worries I had concerning Cooper’s capabilities washed away immediately, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I was hooked for the next 136 minutes.
Undoubtedly, as is expected from a first time director, A Star Is Born isn’t entirely perfect. There are a few slip ups along the way, and the movie could have benefited from losing some of the second act, which begins to drag. But Bradley Cooper manages to reign everything in to create a third act that may not be completely original and becomes slightly predictable, is entirely poignant regardless.
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