It’s been 42 years since the last adaptation of A Star is Born. I suppose we were about due. The original script by William A. Wellman, Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker, and Alan Campbell has proven to have a quality that transcends time as the narrative evolves to suit the tastes of the current generation. The core remains the same. It’s rags-to-riches! It’s got romance! It’s got tragedy! Yes, it’s full of showbiz clichés. That’s because good stories never go out of style, especially one with a charismatic female lead as its central focus. The 30s had Janet Gaynor as an aspiring actress who surpassed a fading movie actor depicted by Fredric March. The 50s transomed the property into a musical as Judy Garland was the ingenue taken under the wing of a former matinée idol played by James Mason. The 70s version had Barbra Streisand as a nightclub singer plucked out of obscurity by a rock star played Kris Kristofferson. Bradley Cooper’s adaptation adheres most closely to this one. The actor directs, writes, produces and acts. Anyone tabulating the years will notice the 90s should have gotten their own rendition. Flash forward to the present and we have Lady Gaga as Ally, a woman who waits tables by day and croons “La Vie en Rose” by night in a drag bar. Bradley Cooper portrays the established artist, Jackson Maine, a country music superstar that performs to sold-out arenas. Jackson stumbles upon Ally’s show while searching for a bar to drink booze.
Lady Gaga can act. She happens to already have a Golden Globe for TV’s American Horror Story, so perhaps not a shock. Some might contend that she’s essentially playing what she knows – a singer. However, Ally the unknown cabaret performer unsure of herself is decidedly different than Lady Gaga the confident multi-platinum selling celebrity. The pop star-turned-actress naturally captures that mix of fear and elation a novice has in front of a crowd. There’s a moment where she crystallizes this feeling so perfectly, that I was overcome by the experience It occurs early on about a third of the way in when Jackson Maine is giving a huge arena concert for his fans. He flies Ally out to the gig. She is brought backstage ostensibly to watch the show. He finishes his tune, then addresses the audience. He strides over side stage up to Ally and asks her to duet her own song with him. The look of shock on her face is so genuine, we feel her terror as well. She declines. “I’m going to sing your song with or without you,” he asserts and then proceeds to do just that. As he begins, she’s left standing there obviously conflicted, an anxiety of emotions bubbling up until she’s inspired to take the stage. It’s a masterful scene. I got goosebumps.
Lady Gaga’s outstanding achievement is somewhat expected. Bradley Cooper is even more surprising. As the fading arena rock musician, he affects this comfortably lived in existence. His voice, a deep, gravelly mummer exists all in the lower register. He instantly recalls grizzled actors like Kris Kristofferson (star of the 1976 version) and Sam Elliott, who actually plays his older brother Bobby in this. Perhaps it’s a bit of an in-joke when Bobby, who is also his manager, criticizes Jackson the artist for stealing his “voice”. Cooper’s world-weary exterior is a physical transformation as well. His complexion is weathered with a ruddy texture. His skin blighted both by the sun and years of drugs and drinking. Bradley Cooper isn’t afraid to look messy.
A Star is Born delights with the highs and lows of a melodrama that is a nothing less than solid entertainment. The tale of these two people is a bewitching saga that allows the two actors to exhibit considerable chemistry as their connection develops over their love of music. Their relationship is collaborative and fosters a more supportive connection than in previous iterations. The first half is endlessly compelling. The second is a bit less so. Yet there are subtleties to the drama that make this interpretation of the classic chestnut something to discuss.
The narrative arc succumbs to the standard story beats that would be clichés to anyone who has ever caught an episode of Behind the Music on VH1. As Ally’s popularity rises, Jackson’s declines. The reason for the awkward growing tension between the two is a fascinating mix of factors. Certainly drugs and alcohol derail Jackson’s career but his growing dissatisfaction is more complex. Success changes Ally’s musical style. Her appearance on Saturday Night Live performing “Why Did You Do That?” is presented as a pop-oriented betrayal of her authentic self, complete with outré makeup and hair. I found the critique ironic since Lady Gaga the artist has never been one to tone it down. Jackson’s growing frustration with her success is certainly a reaction to this persona but there’s some jealousy in there too. Jackson is torn because he’s losing the woman he knew to her growing fame, but he also doesn’t want to stand in the way of her success. A slick manager Rez (Rafi Gavron) hammers this point even further. There’s a lot to consider and the screenplay does a nice job at handling the many facets of a challenging relationship.
This is quite simply a love story. It turns out the utter simplicity of A Star is Born is perhaps its greatest strength. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper have a chemistry together that is so palpable it carries the film. Throughout it all, Lady Gaga sings. Even Bradley Cooper manages to effectively deliver a few tunes (the Jason Isbell penned “Maybe It’s Time” is quite good). Lady Gaga further solidifies her talent as an electrifying performer. She has a voice. The soundtrack is full of memorable songs that highlight a captivating tale. “Shallow” is the first single. It’s wonderful, but there’s a handful of numbers that really catch the ear. “Always Remember Us This Way”, “Is That Alright”, and the finale “I’ll Never Love Again” really stand out amongst a solid collection. In the movie’s weaker 2nd half, the music is what keeps us enrapt. Still, following the ups and downs of the melodrama is solidly entertaining. Melodrama isn’t a bad word. It simply appeals to the emotions while relying on tried and true plot developments. A Star is Born does it well. The production manages to capture our heart while dazzling the ear.
Hollywood is so steeped in the culture of comic books and sci-fi these days that when a movie comes along that hinges on the various alliances between a clan of a well to do socialites, the occurrence seems almost unique. There was a time when Hollywood used to regularly finance big-budget relationship-based tales. The romantic comedy in particular has a long history of stock characters that the audience can easily identify. We cheer and jeer accordingly. That is the case with Crazy Rich Asians. However, there is a very essential distinction to this account. This is the first major studio offering since The Joy Luck Club to feature a predominately Asian cast. Hard to believe that was 25 years ago. That makes the film significant, but more importantly, it also happens to be incredibly entertaining.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Amélie was sexually attracted to The Creature from the Black Lagoon? If so, then The Shape of Water will be the cinematic revelation to satisfy that curiosity. At heart, The Shape of Water is rooted in the well-worn design of a fairy tale. The idea that two disparate individuals should find their soulmate is a tale as old as time, right? Director Guillermo del Toro’s fable utilizes the structure of classics like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. A human falls in love with something that isn’t human, but The Shape of Water goes farther. This is not a children’s story. This is del Toro’s take on interspecies romance and as such, it has his decidedly adult interpretation.
If nothing else, writer and director David Lowery’s new feature is a curiosity. A tale without a distinct narrative to understand so much as to experience. In that respect, this meditation on life is a difficult movie to review. The chronicle is not about events per se, but rather a feeling you appreciate while watching it.
I adore romantic comedies. Good ones, that is. The genre gets such a bad rap nowadays, but when they’re good, they can be transcendent. They capture that most sublime of all human emotions: love. It’s when we, as people are at our most vulnerable. It Happened One Night (1934), Roman Holiday (1953), When Harry Met Sally (1989), The Princess Bride (1987), Notting Hill (1999), 500 Days of Summer (2009): these are my very favorites. We’re talking some of the best movies ever made. Let’s add another title to that growing list of rom-coms: The Big Sick.
