A musician helps a young singer and actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral.
Eighty-one years since the original and two remakes afterward (1937, 1954, 1976), this current version of “A Star Is Born” is one of the most riveting stories of passion and self-sacrifice than we’ve seen in a very long time. Bradley Cooper, who directs and co-stars with Lady Gaga, gives one hell of a performance as Jackson Maine, a no longer relevant musician whose abuse of alcohol has led him on a narrow path to destruction. Lady Gaga, in the role of Ally, gives an equally hellacious performance as his younger and talented love interest who is musically gifted, yet unaware of her ability to impact lives with her powerful vocals.
As the film opens, Jackson, in a drunken stupor, is left to his own vices as he realizes he is out of control and out of work due to his inability to stay sober. His brother Bobby (Sam Elliott) who has been his right-hand man for years, can no longer make excuses for him and is looking for any gig that is less stressful than trying to keep his little brother sober enough to stay alive. On the other end of the spectrum, Ally, who has had heartbreak her entire life, uses music as an escape. While she dreams of becoming a big star in the big city, she doesn’t have enough confidence in herself to take any risks. Her sidekick Ramon (Anthony Ramos), who has been with her for a long time and always seems to be a voice of reason, pumps her up and convinces her to step up to an open mike and take the world by storm. When Jackson stumbles into a bar and is immediately intrigued by Ally’s musical performance, they each find common ground, and while they’re not sure they are what each other needs, they both decide to support one another and hope for the best. When Ally’s career finally begins to take off, Jackson, the person who has been her greatest advocate as well as her springboard, becomes increasingly withdrawn because he can’t handle her climbing the ladder to success, while he quickly fades further away from being relevant. The relationship that the two build together is both sanctimonious and toxic, and they soon find that neither their love for one another nor their love of music, can save them from each other and their predetermined fate.
In this film, Bradley Cooper as director and writer has certainly proven himself to be extremely capable of bringing passion to the big screen while telling a story and building up every facet of the imagination of its viewers. His character development of Jackson and Ally as lovers, musical geniuses and inseparable addicts, is genuinely entertaining. It is refreshing to see that both he and Lady Gaga have a wide range of never before seen talents, and the onscreen chemistry is sexy and undeniably appealing. As the backstory states that Bradley took singing and guitar playing lessons specifically for this film, it is hard to fathom that it isn’t just a natural, uncompromised gift. The music, lyrics, and storyline all come together to make this film highly entertaining, thought-provoking and a necessary element in getting to the root of missteps in relationships. Extra shoutouts to Andrew Dice Clay and Dave Chappelle for their non-traditional roles in the film, and with no disrespect to Kris Kristofferson and Barbara Streisand in the previously high-rated version, this one, hands down is the best there is in reigniting everyone’s passion for feeding their own desire to be relevant!
Available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack & DVD February 19th
