OCTOBER 15, 2018
What’s remarkable about this new version of “A Star Is Born” is not so much that it is being done again but that this fourth version of the familiar story still exhibits such a romantic hold on audiences.
The first “A Star Is Born” in 1937 starred Janet Gaynor as aspiring actress Esther Blodgett who meets Hollywood legend Norman Maine (Fredric March), who takes the Hollywood newbie under his wing, despite the alcoholism that threatens his career. The 1954 remake, which until now was unquestionably the best film of the story, kept the same story and starred James Mason as well as a brilliant Judy Garland. The 1976 “Star” moved the setting to the rock music world with Kris Kristofferson as the superstar and Barbra Streisand as the newbie, laughable on its face then and one that hasn’t aged well as the years have passed.
So it was a real risk for Bradley Cooper to take on this story, and not only has he met the challenge of the material and its history, he has triumphed.
Cooper is Jackson Maine, a name change that makes sense in the country-rock world in which this film is now set. After a performance to adoring crowds, the alcoholic Jackson is out of booze and asks his driver to stop at the nearest bar. That happens to be a gay bar on drag night, but that doesn’t matter to Jackson. Nonetheless, he becomes transfixed by the performance by the only biological female on the bill, a waitress named Ally (Lady Gaga), who knocks Edith Piaf’s “La Vie en Rose” out of the park.
After Ally decks a rowdy patron with a mean right hook, a protective Jackson takes her to an all-night supermarket to get some frozen veggies to nurse her hand, and as they sit, Ally begins to sing the first verses of her newest song, “Shallow,” in the empty parking lot. It’s a beautiful metaphor for two people at that moment in time who feel alone in the world and have only each other.
He convinces Ally to leave her waitress job and come with him on tour, where, at one gig, he tries to pull her onstage to perform “Shallow,” and the strength of her voice is the film’s first reminder that we’re dealing with Lady Gaga.
As powerful as the music is (and the songs, several of which were written by Cooper and Gaga, are by and large terrific), what will make you remember “A Star Is Born” is the strength of its romance. Cooper, both as director and co-writer, doesn’t take a half-cynical view of the love that bonds these two characters. He commits to it fully, and that fearlessness in embracing romance helps to make “A Star Is Born” the most memorable movie love story in years.
That commitment is probably best seen in Cooper’s performance as Jackson, a character who, even while his own star is declining in a haze of alcohol, is hopelessly in love with this waitress and tries to do everything he can to lift her up so that her enormous talent can be heard and appreciated by audiences. In a career that has brought him three Oscar nominations for acting, this is unquestionably his best performance on film and is likely to finally bring him the Academy Award.
Those who are surprised that Lady Gaga can act simply haven’t been paying attention. A Golden Globe winner for TV’s “American Horror Story,” Gaga, as created by Stefani Germanotta (her real name), is every bit as much a character as any in the movies. Her take on Ally, the star who is born, is different that any previous version. Her Ally is not some dewy-eyed novice — she’s a beaten-down 31 year-old who comes to the realization that her dreams of becoming a singer are likely over. That is, until Jackson Maine walks into that gay bar. It is a brilliant take that breathes new life of what could just have been an overly familiar character.
Cooper has collected an impressive supporting cast and is smart enough to use actors with their own constituencies. For example, comic Dave Chappelle is terrific as Noodles, a retired musician and longtime friend of Jackson who is concerned for the first time that his buddy may be in trouble. Even better is Andrew Dice Clay (yes, that Andrew Dice Clay) as Ally’s father Lorenzo, who was once told in his youth that he was the new Sinatra, praise that he is still ready to repeat to anyone at a moment’s notice. But now he must face the possibility that his daughter may have the music success that he himself never had, mixed feelings that are beautifully captured by Clay.
Best of all, however, is Sam Elliott as Bobby, Jackson’s much older brother and manager. While Jackson is his meal ticket, Bobby is silently resentful of Jackson’s success and accuses his brother of stealing his voice. And sure enough, Cooper has appeared to have appropriated Elliott’s deep-voiced drawl for his character. Though appearing in relatively few scenes, Elliott makes each one of them count and is ultimately heartbreaking in the role. Incredibly, the iconic Elliott has never been nominated for an Academy Award. That should change this year.
If I have any quibble about the film, it’s that the film’s second half is not as involving as the first. It’s not Cooper’s fault — that’s the framework of the story. The first half is enchanting as Jackson and Ally work together to achieve success for her, but Ally’s achieving fame in the second half removes her through much of the story during Jackson’s downfall. Gaga’s presence is desperately missed. Don’t get me wrong — it’s still good, but most of the film’s high points come early.
Still, these are small qualms about a film of overwhelming romantic power. Critics talk all the time about chemistry between co-stars, but if you want to see an example of real movie chemistry, watch “A Star Is Born” and be thrilled.
GRADE: A-
