A Star is Born (2018)

You know, with all the political tomfoolery and social mockery afflicting and embarrassing us as a country, culture, and species, I feel that maybe it might be time to go back to basics every once in a while, when it comes to the movies. These past three years has been a filmmaking renaissance, precisely reflecting and reprimanding our current turmoils, tragedies, and our most pressing social anxieties. However, mindless and flashy entertainment (sometimes, a conglomerate of the two) is still as imperative as ever; the difference between diving into a redolent, rich meal at a four-star restaurant to showcasing your repressed gluttony at a fast-food restaurant. They are two vast fields of pleasure; incongruous, but highly necessary.

And what more of a classic, timeless, and overall enlightening cinematic tradition that the grand ol' movie musical! And one that is a remake, having formerly been fronted by both Judy Garland and Barbara Streisand. Such grandiosity, some rushing emotions, such soaring voices of power, theatricality, and beauty!

What sweeping pleasures to be had from… A Star Is Born… directed by Bradley Cooper, and which tells the tale of an alcoholic wash-up and a disillusioned aspiring artist.

Shit. *sighs* Here we go, I guess.

This film stars director/producer/writer Bradley Cooper as Jackson, a rock musician who has developed a habit of indulging in alcohol and painkillers. After a show, he decides to take a detour and ends up in a drag bar, where he meets Ally, played by the glorious Gaga in her film debut, a regular performer at said gay bar, but has never found the self-esteem and the confidence to continue pursuing a career in music. "It sounds great," they all say, "but your nose is too big and you won't be successful."

Jackson discovers that she can not only belt a note, but has a knack for songwriting. Through intense persistence, he manages to get Ally to come to a gig of his and perform. The video of the performance goes viral and a power couple commences through Jackson and Ally. However, will Jackson's self-destructive behaviors catch up with him? Can Ally go solo and maintain her artistic integrity? Holy shit, is that Dave Chapelle in a dramatic role? Wait, is that the Diceman?

I don't want to portray this film as a dirge of an experience, but this tale has been tried-and-true. While Cooper deftly continues the tradition to preserving the narrative foundation, but transmuting the external and emotional components, it's still a tale that begins inspiring and then delves into tragically unfair, no matter which version and/or soundtrack you reference. However, Cooper fortunately retains one other aspect that bolsters the integrity of this Star is Born legacy: power. In any other hands, this material could've been handled in too treacly of a tone and, at times, it borders that dangerous pit, but his daring, go-for-broke, yet tender direction keeps the films as raw and gritty as Cooper's singing voice, eerily reminiscent of Kris Kristofferson himself.

One discovery I made while watching this film and thinking about Bradley Cooper's best works is that Cooper truly values meaningful connections. In The Hangover, Cooper had a tremendous camaraderie with his friends, in the midst of all the debauchery, frenzied chaos, and stolen Mike Tyson tigers. American Sniper showed a man with a deep, personal connection to his profession. American Hustle delineated his connection with his own perceived morality and he showcase a connection between two damaged souls, yet temperamentally opposite, in Silver Linings Playbook, my favorite Cooper role to date.

I can only conclude that this, anything Rocket the Raccoon-related notwithstanding, is the reason why films like Aloha, Burn, and Joy were all financial and critical duds is because Cooper failed to spark any sort of tangible connection in his performances, or at least that's why Cooper was seen as unremarkable, at best. However, allow Cooper to explore meaningful connections and what an engrossing, tumultuous, lovely love story you receive between Jackson and Ally and all the nuances that Cooper portrays the love story with. One of the most sensually intense and riveting moments in early on when Ally self-deprecates herself for her big nose. Jackson asks to touch it and the camera zooms in on the moment, lingering with more vigor and raw attraction than the sex scenes, which are shot tersely and sparingly, just long enough to where you confirm the emotional bullseye between these two beings. It's not about leering, it's about loving.

Also, I guess it’s fitting that A Star is Born is a story that has been about revelations and comebacks, because when it comes to Cooper's performance…

Damn!

Welcome back, Bradley! I don't know where the hell you've been, but you came home and that's all that matters. And you can bet your ass that I'll be rooting for you to get that Best Actor nomination. Also, Academy of Arts and Sciences, if I may put in a request, don't forget about Gaga either because…

DAMN!

Lady Gaga (I was going to use her real name to give her more credibility in the acting realm, but fuck it, Gaga suits me well) is quite simply a revelation. I saw her in an interview where she stated that she hates herself without makeup, because that isn't really her. I can only assume that she had to extract feelings from herself of insecurity, of inadequacy, and of crippling, desperate fears of losing control over her image and style. Whatever the case may be, she shows it in a truly naked performance, in more ways than one. Her vulnerability and naivete coupled with her quick-wittedness and her emerging courage is something to behold, augmented by those glorious Gaga eyes, so glowing with pathos, intensity, and a raw, striking aggression that she could stand toe-to-toe with Judy Garland.

It's almost comical how it took Mariah Carey subsequent bit parts and twenty-second cameos to make an impact, yet Lady Gaga hits it out of the park in one try, all the while reminding us that her musical abilities have not fallen to the wayside. Speaking of which, the music is mostly strong, but again, I do say mostly. While all of Bradley Cooper's self-written, self-performed songs all click with me, Gaga seems to let some of her leaden, syrupy pop sensibilities creep in, which lead to songs intentionally awful ("Is That Alright?") to ones that are rather flavorless ("Look What I Found") to ones too maudlin, too strained, too pretentious, and overrated ("I'll Never Love Again").

Regardless, this is an emotional gut punch of a musical in the same vein it's always been. It's rather subversive in that sense: manipulating our content, rigorously hopeful expectations of musicals, in order to transport us to a journey that both musical fans and non-musical fans will most likely be caught off-guard by. Throughout the film, I tried to find a definitive, binding connection between Ally and Jackson that links them as personalities. What do they share? The tragic answer is that they are well-intentioned, spirited, passionate individuals that try to abscond each other's circumstances. Jackson tries to expose Ally to stardom, only for her to lose her artistic credibility and her hope in romance. Ally tries to lift Jackson through his struggles, which only makes for him seeping deeper into his angst and his vices, to the point where his hope in himself can no longer be recovered. It doesn't make for a consistently uplifting experience, but it makes for an authentic one.

Also, Lady Gaga, if you choose to explore more with nudity, I… I will not complain at all.

RATING: Three out of four stars