A Star is Born (2018)

The music industry is a challenge for hopefuls looking to make their mark on the world with the best intentions. There are have been abundance of stories told regarding this ranging from biopics of musicians down to a variety of comedies/dramas. One of these has been re-adapted 3 times, A Star is Born, which debuted to audiences in 1937 to very positive reviews and was nominated in many Oscar categories. I haven't actually watched that or any of the remakes nor was I aware about them until the marketing campaign for the 3rd remake popped up on my radar. Oscar season has arrived with a slew of contenders ready to hopefully showcase their strengths to audiences after their premieres at various film festivals, which brings us here to A Star is Born (2018), the directorial debut of leading actor Bradley Cooper (who also co-produced and co-wrote the script) and starring Lady Gaga. Apparently this remake was in development hell for a couple of years looking to secure its actors for the main parts.This was getting strong critical buzz and I decided to go into it fairly blind (having only seen a trailer or two) rather than watch the previous versions. I entered the crowded auditorium ecstatic to watch it (with a fresh pack of tissues just in case) and I left it pretty impressed.

Plot: The story follows an alcoholic musician past his prime who meets and falls for an young singer. The development of this premise surrounding with its leads and their respective backgrounds is very believable based on the execution. The dialog between the pair feels very realistic in what would be expected between the bond of an experienced singer and an up-and-coming one. The meta commentary of the industry in question is on full display starting in the second act and might bother some audience members based on how they feel about it. In fact, the relationship is handled pretty well in terms of both some of the extravagant highs and the uncomfortable lows as the story moves forward.

Despite how solid the screenplay is, there are some issues that can get in the way. The plot can move at a somewhat unexpected rate to the point where it's hard to track how much time has passed. The runtime is also too long to where 10-15 minutes could have been shaved off (having caffeine in your system would be more recommended than just simply bringing the tissue box). A decision or two made here can be kinda random and out of the blue, which might be off-putting but understandable given how crazy that lifestyle can be.

Characters: The people to focus on are Jackson (Bradley Cooper) and Ally (Lady Gaga). Jackson is an experienced but alcoholic singer with a rough background and is on the decline in his career. For an actor whose career highlights include being launched into popularity with The Hangover, showing dramatic chops in Silver Linings Playbook, and providing the voice of a cybernetic raccoon with a traumatic past in the MCU, this is definitely another great showing for Bradley Cooper as his great performance propels this story very well, along with the added bonus of singing very well. Ally is a young aspiring musician who goes enters into a career with Jackson's help. Lady Gaga is great to watch with how her character changes by the effect that such an industry would have on any newcomers. The chemistry between these leading actors is compelling to see as they don't miss a beat on the happiest highs and the uncomfortable lows (insert joke about Cooper teaching Gaga more acting while she taught him how to sing). An honorable mention goes to Bobby (Sam Elliot) for bringing arguably the best performance out of the cast and being compelling to watch in his scenes with Cooper.

Overall Consensus: A Star is Born thrives on the chemistry of its charismatic leads, great performances, sweet songs, honest meta commentary, and solid effort in providing a music romantic drama experience. ⭑⭑⭑⭑1/4🎟 Runtime: 2 hours 13 minutes R

Reasons to watch it: You enjoy any of the aforementioned actors. You like romantic dramas. You want to listen to good soundtrack and melody of songs. You have seen the previous versions of this and want to compare them. You don't mind 2 hour films.

Reasons to avoid it: You dislike any of the aforementioned actors. You hate romantic dramas. You aren't interested in the soundtrack and melody of songs. You are annoyed with 2 hours films that kinda drag a little bit.