Review of A Star Is Born (2018) by Sara D — 09 Oct 2018

I have not seen the previous versions of this story and I'm not terribly interested, so this is a blind review so to speak.

When I first heard this movie was being made, I had doubts--not about the acting or singing but about the story. Like I said, I didn't see the previous 3 movies, so I had no idea what to expect. I was worried there would be a lot of sappy love story cliches and cheesy moments, plus some hokey representation of "the price of fame.".

But I was pleasantly surprised. The movie is not some crappy, sappy love story, nor is it plagued by "OMG FAME IS BAD" tropes. It focuses on how addiction can affect a person's life, the people around them, and what consequences may come about from poor life decisions. The ending really surprised me. I mean, I knew in general what would happen but not like it did. It was quite.....tragic.

The acting was fantastic--Bradley Cooper was great as usual and Lady Gaga did a very good job. She's not Meryl Streep or anything, but she gives a solid, emotional performance. If she keeps at it, she could very well become a great actress in addition to her already incredible singing talent.

Bradley seems to have a handle on directing as the movie was very well made, decently paced, and solid camera angles. The movie does run a little long, though, and sort of drags at one point, and there is one bit with Bradley's past that is kind of rushed. However, neither ruin the movie.

The music is excellent, and Bradley is a fairly good singer, and he learned to play guitar for the role, so more power to him. Gaga is, as expected, brilliant with the songs she sings--not much else to say because that wasn't a surprise.

I think this movie has something offer for Lady Gaga fans, Bradley Cooper fans, people who like (realistic) love stories, movies with good music, and maybe for those who liked any or all of the previous versions. Although, this movie is definitely a lot different than the older versions as there are plenty of f-bombs and some sexual content. If you can live with that, then you should be fine.