A Star is Born
A big-name country music star (Bradley Cooper) runs into a talented, unsigned singer (Lady Gaga). The two fall in love, he helps her in her rise to fame while she helps him deal with his booze and drug addiction.
This film has (literally) been re-made three or four times now; each time it’s been pretty good and this one is no exception. This is a bold, heartfelt and creative directorial debut from Bradley Cooper. It’s also his best performance in any film, and a show-stopping breakthrough role for Lady Gaga.
I don’t know how the dreadful Bohemian Rhapsody1 is even being compared to this.
It’s a classic tale of doomed romance, the love of art regardless of success, and the transcendent power of music. Yeah you’ve seen it all before but when it’s shot this well and backed by great original music played live-on-tape, A Star is Born makes you feel like you are rediscovering the genre all over again.
I must admit I’d written Cooper off as a reliable but pretty dull leading man, but his take on this film is a real thing of beauty. He puts in a nuanced yet captivating performance and gets the same from all his actors.
Looking forward to seeing what he’s got up his sleeve next.