A Star Is Born (2018)

“A Star Is Born” stars Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle, and Sam Elliott.  Released on October 5, 2018, the film follows the relationship between a country musician and a young singer.

The film features the directorial debut of Bradley Cooper, and it is the third remake of the 1937 film of the same name.  Being a star has its share of ups and downs.  You get to have a lot of money and adoring fans, but the actions you make during that life can cost you almost everything you’ve loved if you’re not careful.  The 1937 classic, “A Star Is Born” is a prime example of a tragic love story mixed with the imperfect life as a superstar.  It is also a cinematic treasure that’s been told three times already, including the latest version I’ll be talking about today.  Despite the fact that I have not seen the original version and its remakes, I was pretty excited for it for a couple of reasons.  One of them is the fact that Bradley Cooper is pulling double duty as he serves as a first-time director and as an actor.  The other reason is that it has been getting strong reviews since its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival back in August.  Now that it’s finally here, does it have what it takes to shine and impress its modern audience?

If you’ve seen the last three versions of “A Star Is Born”, then you’ll have an easier time following the story in this version…because it is clearly the same story as the other versions.  If not, don’t worry.  I won’t spoil it for you.  It’s more of a simple love story between two singer-songwriters: one is an established musician with a drinking problem (Cooper) and the other is a young woman with an amazing singing voice (Lady Gaga).  Retelling a cinematic classic for a new generation of movie fanatics can be tricky, especially since most of the remakes usually fail to live up to their original counterparts.  On the plus side, there have been a few remakes that managed to be as good as the originals, and after experiencing the recent version of “A Star Is Born” for myself, I’m happy to say that this film is another remake that works.  Not only did Bradley Cooper deliver another riveting performance as Jackson Maine, but he also proved that he has a keen sense of direction when it comes to the film’s portrayal of some real-life issues, such as substance abuse.  Cooper fully understands that these issues can happen to anyone, especially musicians, and he didn’t rely so much on the film’s melodramatic elements to get the message out.  He allowed the realistic emotions from the characters to create the film’s beautiful tunes as well as pull the audience’s heartstrings without missing a single note.  It’s easy for me to say that Cooper has a good future ahead of him as a director.  If there’s a reason why you should like Lady Gaga even more, this film has got you covered.  Lady Gaga was simply the best part of the film in terms of her superb acting and her singing.  It’s like she was born to play this type of role.  If she doesn’t get an Oscar nomination for her performance, or at least a Golden Globe nomination, there’s going to be trouble.  One of the things that made this film work for me was the irresistible chemistry between Cooper and Lady Gaga.  Whether they’re acting or singing together, these two actors had that special kind of spark that drew me into the world they lived in and made me want to see them succeed.  This is the type of chemistry that I was looking forward to, and it didn’t disappoint.  The cinematography and the film’s songs were also impressive in creating an atmospheric experience that made me feel like I was a part of an actual concert myself, and I should know because I have actually been to a concert before, and it was pretty amazing.

Overall, the 2018 version of “A Star Is Born” proves that a remake can be just as effective as the original if the heart and soul were in the right place.  From its incredible cast to the enticing soundtrack, the film is not only one of the best remakes I’ve seen so far, but also one of the best romantic dramas ever.  This is a definitive must-see for both Lady Gaga fans and music fans.  I will definitely be looking out for this film during awards season.

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