A Star is Born – 2018
This movie was alright. I won’t say it was really any better than that. There are several problems I have with it, and yes, there were a few things I liked, but I wanted it to be so much better than it actually was. I’m not saying it was a bad movie, but it was simply average. But apparently audiences didn’t agree. It made plenty of money at the box office, and both critics and audiences loved it. It was nominated for eight Oscars by the Academy, though it won only one.
First of all, I have to address the obvious. This is the fourth cinematic telling of an old story. The first one was in 1937 and starred Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. The second was in 1954, and starred Judy Garland and James Mason. The 1976 version starred Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. And here we are again, this time with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Some people say that Hollywood is having trouble finding original stories, and I believe there is some truth in that. Did we really need a fourth iteration?
The bare bones of the plot is easy to follow. Jackson Maine, played by Cooper, is a rock star with severe drug and alcohol addiction. While looking for the closest bar, he chances upon a drag bar that lets a real woman sing in the show. Ally, played by Gaga, enthralls him and he takes her out for drinks. Jackson learns that Ally writes her own songs. He hears her mumble through one before taking her home. The next night, Jackson convinces Ally to join him on the stage in front of thousands of screaming fans, and her career as a superstar takes off.
The two go on the road together and fall in love. While Ally’s star rises, Jackson’s falls. We follow their ups and downs, their marriage, and their personal struggles. Jackson’s substance abuse reaches epic levels and he nearly ruins Ally’s career in the process. Convinced that she would rather sacrifice her career than leave him behind, Jackson commits suicide to ensure that she continues on her path to stardom. Ally has her diva moment and sings a powerful love song to her dead husband. The end.
Of course, the movie is much more complex than that. There are plenty of dramatic subplots that fostered plenty of anger, pain, and tears. The critics praised Lady Gaga’s performance and she was nominated for Best Actress, though she didn’t win. Personally, I thought her acting was mostly good, though there were a few moments in which her performance felt a little awkward. I actually thought Cooper turned in a better performance. But on top of that, even Cooper was overshadowed a little by the actor playing Bobby Maine, Jackson’s older half-brother, Sam Elliott, who was fantastic in his supporting role. Actually, all three actors were nominated in their respective categories, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.
Of course, the film also has the distinction of being Cooper’s directorial debut, and I suppose he did a competent job. But the one Oscar the movie took home was for Best Original Song. I have to admit that the song Shallow is a good song. In fact, if you didn’t watch the awards show, go to Youtube and watch Cooper and Gaga perform it live at the Awards ceremony. It was really a great performance.
But don’t be fooled by its place in the film. It was the song that Jackson, while in a partially drunken haze, learned by listening to Ally stumble through a single verse. The very next night he gets her to come on to the stage, unrehearsed, and sing it with him as a duet. It is beautiful and perfect, the band played it like a studio recording, the crowd goes wild, and it jumpstarts Ally’s career. Wrong! Wrong! That’s not how it works! I am a musician, and I can confidently say that there is no way on God’s green Earth that the song could have come off as anything but a complete train-wreck if it was performed under those conditions. Music that good takes a ton of hard work and preparation. Ok… suspension of disbelief.
There were a couple of other supporting roles that deserve to be recognized. For instance, Andrew Dice Clay did a great job playing Ally’s father Lorenzo, and Dave Chapelle as George “Noodles” Stone, Jackson’s best friend. Also, Rafi Gavron did a good job playing Rez Gavron, Ally’s manager. He was just sleezy enough to be memorable. And lest I forget, Anthony Ramos as Ally’s friend, Ramon, and a personal favorite of mine, Greg Grunberg, as Phil, Jacksons personal driver. Everyone did a good job, though again, Sam Elliott really stood out to me as a cut above the rest.
But apparently it was almost a very different movie. The original actress hired to play the part of Ally was Beyoncé, though she had to drop out do to the timing of her pregnancy. Just imagine what the movie could have been with a different singer/songwriter playing opposite Cooper. Beyoncé actually has more experience as an actress in a leading role, though Gaga is certainly not without experience in front of the cameras, so why not?