THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Love and music can be a powerful combination because you never know if they can bring you to the top or cause your downfall.
PLOT
Based on a previously written script adapted in 1937, that would also be adapted in ‘54 and ‘76, 2018’s A Star is Born follows country musician Jackson Maine who is struggling with the addiction of drugs & alcohol, and the only primary support he has is his older brother Bobby who is also his manager. After performing another show, he attends a drag bar and is captivating of an Edith Piaf tribute performance by Ally, aspiring songwriter who works as a waitress and lives with her father Lorenzo (Andrew Dice Clay). He would get the chance to spend the night traveling around town where she shares her struggles on making a break, as well as sharing a sing she wrote called ‘Shallow’. In awe of her talent, he invites her to one of her shows which she goes with her friend Ramon (Anthony Ramos). On the night of the the concert, Jackson encourages her to sing her song, which they perform together as a duet. She would become an overnight success and not only officially spark an intimate relationship with the artist, but also go on tour with him. When Jackson takes her to his father’s burial site, he would be disappointed that it had been washed away in a storm and Bobby sold the land that got converted to a wind farm. When he confronts his brother about it, he punches him which leads to him quit as manager. Before leaving, he does tell him he told him before what happened but was too drunk at the time to remember. When the tour continues, Ally would meet a record producer named Rez who offers her a contract. Jack supports her despite being visibly bothered of the transition, especially when Rez has her make pop music instead of country. When he misses out on her own shoes due to another drunk bender, he recovers at the house of his old friend George ‘Noodles’ Stone. He does make amends with Ally by proposing to her and have an impromptu wedding with Noodles’ assist. Ally’s career would continue to succeed when getting to perform a new single on SNL. During that performance, Jack would make amends with Bobby but would reach a turmoil with his wife; The reason comes from how her newfound success is outpacing his decline in popularity. The night she wins her first Grammy, he would attend the ceremony drunk and wet himself in public which humiliates them both in the process. The incident would cause him to go into rehab. When he recovers within two months, he does disclose with his counselor that he tried to commit suicide as a teen due to the negligence of his father and confesses of struggling from tinnitus. Upon recovery, he would apologize to Ally for embarrassing her the way he did, which she chooses to forgive again. When returning home, he would confess to Bobby that he always idolized him and never their father. Ally would then ask Rez to bring her husband on her European tour, only for her to promptly cancel when he refuses, so she can take care of him. One day when waiting for her to take her to a nearby concert to perform, he would selfishly tell Jack he’s an embarrassment towards his wife. Later in the evening, Ally would lie to him the tour was cancelled to work on another album. He promised to join her later but hours after she leaves, he would hang himself in his garage. Shortly after this tragedy, Ally would blame herself for what happened to him but Bobby assure it isn’t her fault and what happened was his choice. The film would end with Ally performing one of his last written songs at his memorial.
THOUGHTS
Since the previous adaptations were mixed with different forms of quality, I wasn’t sure what kind of expectations to have for this follow-up. Once I heard the soundtrack in advance, I was sure there was gonna be something special to witness. With that being said, I was downright amazed of what this one became. In his directorial debut, Bradley Cooper is able to make the story his own and moves us with a tale of love & heartbreak, as well as success & downfall. With impressive cinematography by Matthew Libatique, the pacing felt just right which was a problem I had with the predecessors. It doesn’t feel too fast nor too slow, which is an accurate way to express how unpredictable one’s success can be no matter the background. Overall, I think this film beats everything that came from the past because of it’s interpretation on saying you should trust your gut when pursuing something you want and stay who you are when you make a change in your life. And if you don’t think you’re able to do so, you won’t be satisfied if the end result. This is what I picked up on before, yet is done best here thanks to as great cast. As actors, Cooper & Lady Gaga were matches made in Heaven as Jack & Ally respectively who steal our hearts with the music they make and the journey they share. Despite battling demons at every turn, Jack is someone you want to root for because he does his best to be open hearted first and wanting to see the best out of everyone, that alone helps Cooper score his third Oscar nomination as an actor. He was so in awe of Ally like we all were because he senses the star power more than anyone and wants her to have what she deserves. He falls for her overnight because he feels inspired to be a better version of himself. Of course, that part didn’t work out the way he wanted as jealousy got the better of him. It became that way because like many musicians, losing the attention makes them feel irrelevant and doesn’t want to be forgotten. His death hurts for multiple reasons: One, knowing it’s a remake doesn’t make it less tough to experience upon buildup. Two, it could’ve been avoided if he didn’t feel so guilty about himself. Three, he felt like he had to do what he did because he didn’t want to hold Ally back after all the mistakes, nor did he want to be a burden anymore for anyone, thus coming off almost chivalrous. Ally is someone to adore because she doesn’t come off trying to take advantage of anyone but becomes grateful of an opportunity presented by one willing to give her the chance. She’s far from a damsel because she is fierce when in conflict, which she proves whenever stood up to Jackson or any outsider for that matter. She fell for him overnight because he admired her inner beauty and accepts her for wanting to be herself which he encourages throughout. Once they start singing together, it felt like a match made in Heaven. ‘Shallow’ is such a trailblazer of a song because it represents feeling inspired by the other half to surpass expectations. “I’ll Always Remember Us This Way” is so satisfying to hear for representing how to always appreciate the good memories of a relationship. “Heal Me” was great for expressing the recovery from the past. “Look What I Found” was great as well due to expressing the sudden joy of finding the unexpected that is love. My favorite song however was “Is That Alright” due to how it is a modern tale of unconditional love. Ally chose to stay with Jack in a difficult battle he was going through because she owed him so much after he gave the opportunity no one was willing to try. She still chose to change her style no matter how much she and Jack disliked it because she was willing to take every opportunity no matter the stakes and couldn’t bare wasting it. Losing her husband was indeed tough for her because he changed her life for the better and doesn’t feel sure what it will be without him now, hence the meaning of “I’ll Never Love Again”. When she sang that song in the end, there was no doubt her stardom has officially begun because she would honor him by being true to herself from then on. Although Cooper & Gaga define this movie, there were still other characters that stood out in their own way. It was cool to see Dave Chapelle play a caring friend out of Noodles, who is happy to see Jack find his happiness, but the one supporting character that spoke the most volumes was Bobby. Sam Elliot scores his first Oscar nomination as an actor, as would Gaga, for laying out all the compassion he has to give for his young brother and be the father they never had. You respect him for putting up with Jack as long as he did because he knew no one else would and he never had animosity towards Ally because he was relieved his brother found someone that made him happy for the first time. What truly put me to tears before Jack’s death was when he admitted Bobby was his idol and never their father. Seeing Bobby tear up upon the confession while trying to drive away got to me the most because it showed family will always love each other even when you think they don’t and role models will always be the ones who create the expectations you wish to seek. And his opinion on how ‘Music is essentially 12 notes between any octave” moved me as well because it taught me any form of it can be one in the same as long as you feel it’s heart and the heart is the notes. If we gotta technical on if there was a villain in this movie, I’m with a lot of people when saying it was Rez. Like a lot of managers, Rafo Gavron made him a stingy ass guy who visibly cared about himself more than Ally. He proved it when he convinces her to change her looks. But then he takes it too far when he calls out Jackson for being an embarrassment to her. He may have a point because no famous individual wants to deal with bad publicity, because he wasn’t in the right. If Ally wasn’t gonna say it, nor should he and that alone is the reason why Jack would do what he did. This film will hold up better than the predecessors for sure, but there are still a few things that bothered me upon re-watching. For starters, how does Jack remember going to the cop car if he barely recognized he was entering a drag bar? I know that shows he wasn't completely drunk when they met, but if he barely knows his way around town, it's hard to believe he'd remember where to go at that point. It's cute that Ramon got to go with Ally to the show Jack invited her to, leading to the iconic performance of 'Shallow', but how was he sure she'd bring a plus-one? I know Ramon was cool with him, but it's not like he was sure he'd come. I mean he was relying on faith way too much at that point. You know I ate continuity errors, so you bet I was confused how at the gas station, Ally doesn't have a jacket in one take before being shown with one by the time it cuts to her kissing Jack. The one thing I thought was dumb of Ally was how she gets surprised of Jack finding out about the Grammy nominations? I feel like every musician is gonna tune in on such announcement whether or not they hope to get nominated as well. It's definitely a shocking moment when Jackson makes a scene at the Grammys, but it's so awkward due to how neither Rez nor security take him back to his seat or have him leave the building. It would've been less embarrassing for Ally had that happened. The last thing that threw me off was how Jack's dog Charlie gets outside the house when he dies. For some reason, had they shown the dog go through a doggie door before walking to the garage door, it would've made the buildup all the more heartbreaking. Ignore this, then you'll still appreciate the movie for what it is. In short, 2018's A Star is Born is one of the best dramas of the 2010s by proving how beneficial remakes can be for a classic story, becoming a worthy Best Picture nominee in the process. If you're a music lover and whether or not you've seen the previous adaptations, check this out whenever.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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