Review of A Star Is Born (2018) by Bradley J — 04 Oct 2018

A Star is Born (2018) is all kinds of sad. Most of it intended by Cooper as the director and by the narrative. However, with little joy in the proceedings, it's hard to feel genuinely moved by film's downward spiral narrative arc, that ends in a bit of a cliche infected form.

Bradley Cooper is clearly a stronger actor here than director, as some scenes are choppily crafted and often messy in the way they're improvised. Hpwever, Lady Gaga delivers a stirring show, at first meek, but then blossoming displaying her powerhouse vocals.

The first thirty minutes of the film are basically perfection, climaxing in a goosebumps inducing Gaga showstopper. But once, the oft-told drug addict narrative is in full swing, the elation of performance gets sapped from the screen, and while undeniably tragic, it becomes an arc we've seen before in many a rockstar with personal issues stories.

Gaga will deservedly get recognized for her first main film role, and she is stunning. Cooper as well here delivers a powerful performance, but one in service of a basic plot with no where to go but down.

Rating: 62.