A STAR IS BORN (2018) Review

Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut, while it is a reboot (of a reboot, of a reboot of the original…), does all it can to shine as its own story. The connection between the two leads thrive, coursing through each other with their beautiful music and intimate glances that make you believe in love. However, it is that ultimate connection that helps the source material and plot points standout, even at times where the material should carry its own weight.

Acclaimed musician Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) discovers and falls almost instantly in love with Ally (Lady Gaga), a singer in a bar he stumbles into. Throughout their rollercoaster journey of constant love and constant spotlight, both Jackson and Ally deal with the struggles of a rising career and battling sickness and addiction. In learning to love and live with each other, they must both face the very real struggles of who they individually are, and what they both want.

A STAR IS BORN works very well in its first half. It is an increasingly beautiful love story and amazingly immersive concert-movie. This is where Cooper’s direction shines. The many sequences of Ally and Jackson are gratuitously satisfying, and I never wanted them to not be sharing the screen, for more than just the breathtaking music. The two melted into each other, and whether they were singing, talking, or just being with each other, they were absolutely captivating. Their first scene together shines, as a simple glance during Ally’s rendition of La Vie en Rose between two held more immediate emotional and sensual chemistry than the second half of the film.

The film’s second half, containing quite the vast tonal shift, is where the film loses some of its charisma. The source material is often very heavy, and too often does Cooper’s directorial choices succumb to this weight. Many major scenes carrying an emotional gravitas were too dispersed, and consequently made the tale of addiction feel less authentic and almost surprising at times. While the scenes themselves were often phenomenal, performance-wise, they felt as if were inserted almost sporadically into the second half of the film to enhance its story.

With all that being said, the emotional aspect of this film does not disappoint. No matter how dispersed and scattered some heavy scenes felt, I was constantly watching with a little lump in my throat. Cooper may have lacked in his battle against his source material, but him and Gaga did not disappoint in conveying what they needed to in that moment. No one's tear ducts were spared in Gaga’s very last scene – every emotion from the entire film expressed with one beautiful look. Watch this movie, if not for beautiful voices coming from beautiful people.

Score: 7.8/10

Jade