A Reel Review: A STAR IS BORN

First-time director Bradley Cooper’s A STAR IS BORN is the fourth Hollywood movie to carry that title. There is a wonderful scene towards the end, in which the character played by the great Sam Elliott explains that music (or any other art), is the same story told over and over, and all any artist can do is offer the world how they see it. That line not only justifies another version of the show-business, rags-to-riches story, but the mission statement for Cooper as he puts his own stamp on an old story. 

Jackson Maine (Cooper) is a hard-drinking, drug-taking, hard-of-hearing country-rock star who is on the down-slope of his career. After a gig, he stumbles into a bar and meets Ally (Lady Gaga), a struggling waitress with a great talent for singing and songwriting. Jackson and Ally begin a love affair, which sees his career falling just as fast as her star rises. 

It’s an old fable with new skin. A STAR IS BORN follows Ally’s rise through the music world, beginning with a thrilling duet performance with Jackson, and reaching a peak at the Grammy’s. While she rises, Jackson falls deeper into a pit of drugs and booze. Familiar territory, but Cooper, spending time in front and behind the camera, digs deep into both characters. Intimate and personal, the film works as the script and direction makes us believe in Jackson and Ally, who each have their personal demons and yet they benefit each other and make each other better; it doesn’t take long to have an interest in their lives and root for their success. 

It’s a show business fable sprinkled with a lot of heart; family, love, and personal passions drive the film. Cooper is also playing with universal truths that ring deep, not only for artists and performers but for all. The lessons strike a deep chord, and make A STAR IS BORN unique and powerful. His direction shows a steady hand in the intimate moments, and then lets loose during the stage performances which truly shows us what it like to perform in front of thousands. The quiet times and the loud scenes have an electricity that jolts off the screen. The music is wonderful, and the songs that Jackson and Ally write together reflect what is going on in their lives at a given time, which makes each performance vital to the story. The film looks great, and has a gritty, lived-in feel that gives it an authenticity. 

But the most authentic element of the film are the performances. Cooper dons a deep country-boy accent which is a spot-on imitation of Sam Elliott’s tone (for a very good reason). His acting is at his very best as he goes through his bouts of self-loathing drunkenness and bliss, and his vocal chords are jaw-droppingly good. Lady Gaga is the real revelation here; her singing bits are spectacular (all the performances were recorded live), but her acting is tremendous. It takes all but 10 seconds in the early goings of the film for her to prove herself; her many turns of happiness and sadness are pulled off like she’s been doing this for decades, and her chemistry with Cooper is explosive but natural. The rest of the cast, including Elliott, Andrew Dice Clay, Rafi Gavron, and Dave Chappelle are all excellent. 

Cooper and Gaga had a lot riding on this film; with the former having never directed or sung before, and the latter never acting in a leading role in a feature. But by the time the finale rolls around, which is a bittersweet gut-punch that will generate a waterfall of tears, the two prove themselves as more than capable of re-telling a Hollywood tale in a new, and refreshing way. It’s a film that reaches deeply; hitting those primal chords and sticks with us long after the credits roll. Its truths don’t preach about the dangers of drugs or booze, but instead asks us to examine the directions our lives are going in, and to act on it. It's astonishing how much it resonates, which is what all great films do. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it