Review - A Star Is Born (2018)

February 12, 2021
 
A Star Is Born – US, 2018
 

A curious thing happens midway through Bradley Cooper’s remake of A Star Is Born – it becomes unstuck in its own time frame. Bear with me here. The first half of the film has many of this era’s hallmarks – YouTube, smart phones, the long-term effects of performing live music, an honest portrayal of the cruelty that some women experience when they try to make it as a singer - the cumulative effect of which is a relevance that a much rosier depiction akin to that of the first three adaptations of the story might not have for contemporary viewers. And then inexplicably those aspects rooted it in the time of digital downloads, poor album sales, and challenges that come with being an overnight internet sensation mostly evaporate, replaced by a world in which negative comments and cellular tracking devices simply do not exist. It’s as if screen writers Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, and Will Fetters were so fatigued after writing the first half that they applied white out to the second half of the screenplay of the 1976 version and simply changed the names. (Thankfully they removed the scene in which a nude reporter tries to conduct an interview with the rising star immediately after having a dalliance with her husband.)
 
This is, of course, a bit of hyperbole, but when one of the key plot points involves an aspiring singer going viral, it seems wrong not to acknowledge the online criticism that would undoubtedly be levelled at her when what follows is a studio creation instead of the sensation who drew rapturous applause from an unsuspecting audience just months earlier. Just imagine the reaction if Dylan had waited until the internet existed to switch to the electric guitar. The response would have been brutal. Here, the only conversation about the utterly complete make-over comes across as just the heightened critique of an insecure and jealous husband. And then the subject is unceremoniously dropped.
 
Another significant difference between the film’s two halves is the pacing. The first half of the film takes its time and does a remarkable job of establishing the bond that develops between the film’s two central characters: country-rock singer Jackson (Jack) Maine (Bradley Cooper) and Ally (Lady Gaga). The two meet at a drag bar after Jack runs out of alcohol and stops at a club he happens to be passing. He is, fortunately, just in time to see Ally (perhaps the only straight entertainer the club has) perform a rendition of “La Vie En Rose” that struck me as an amalgamation of Flashdance and Coyote Ugly. Jack is intrigued – and perhaps a bit horny as well – and after being introduced to Ally backstage, the two strike up a conversation that is more than a bit strained. As the evening unfolds, their defenses lower, secrets are exchanged, lyrics are sung, and, more importantly, a bond begins to form. Jack’s core message seems to be that of William H. Macy in The Cooler: “Look in my eyes. I am the only mirror you’re ever gonna need.” Sure, it’s corny, but he’s a celebrity, and celebrity compliments resonate much more than those uttered by your average Joe. So, imagine how she feels when he says he’s going to sing her song live. Love comes fast in such circumstances.
 
The highlight of this part of the film is the performance of “Shallow,” and if David Thomson ever writes a follow-up to his book Moments That Made The Movies, I am certain a section will devoted to it. The scene starts with Jack’s sweet prodding of Ally to join him on stage, and Cooper gets this moment just right. His calm gentle smile and smooth delivery convey both confidence and admiration, and it seems natural that Ally would be persuaded to join him on stage. Yet, the way she does is the stuff of wonders. Impressively, Lady Gaga is able to express Ally’s understandably nervous demeanor following years of rejection and insults while also hitting the types of notes that only those destined for real stardom achieve. Jack then gives her one of those “told-you-so” looks, and when it is time for the next verse, her confidence, as evidenced by the glow radiating from her face, is sky high. As the title states, a star has been born.
 
Those familiar with the other incarnations of the story know that the good times don’t last. As Jack’s demons – alcoholism, drug addiction, hearing loss – catch up to him, Ally’s star rises. Surprisingly, the film is less successful at conveying Jack’s decline in popularity. We don’t see negative comments about his performances, nor is there any talk of a decline in the sales of his music. Jack’s fall is, therefore, more personal in nature. However, to make this completely realistic, they would have to occur much more frequently outside of the public eye instead of, for example, live at the Grammy Awards.
 
It is this part of the film that sticks too faithfully to the storyline first developed in What Price Glory back in 1926, and since it does not deviate from that pattern, it leaves many things undeveloped. The justifiably maligned Rock of Ages did a better job at exploring the disappointment of being turned into a pop star when your heart is in rock and roll, and at a time when internet stars and the winners of singing contests struggle to build a truly devoted following (Even Kelly Clarkson found it difficult to sell out a stadium tour), Ally’s meteoric ability to draw packed stadium shows is less realistic than it would have been in the 1980s and 1990s.
 
What A Star Is Born succeeds at above all is presenting viewers with an accurate view of the effects of addiction and how even those who are well aware of its devastating potential can fall prey to the notion of love’s absolute ability to better someone. I suspect many viewers have themselves been or known one of these characters, either wanting no part of addiction or finding themselves plunging deep into the abyss. I know I have, and because of that, I recognized both Ally’s inability to completely separate herself from a situation she knew all too well could end disastrously and her confidence that she could provide the solution. Sadly, it is the part of A Star Is Born that seems the most permanent. Here we are, watching the fifth version of this story, and this is the part that resonates the most. There’s something deeply telling about that. (on DVD and Blu-ray)
 
3 stars

Guest Blogger: Paul Cogley

Musing On the 4th A Star Is Born (2018)

by Paul Cogley

In 2014, I wrote a review on this blog about the 1975 remake of A Star Is Born. Or rather, it was more like a musing on the film, since Azrael had already reviewed it, as well as reviewed the original A Star Is Born (1937) and A Star Is Born (1954). Here again I want to present my musings rather than write a typical film review. However, I recommend you see the film if you enjoy a good musical romance-tear-jerker. On the scale of its predecessors, my rating for this film would be on the upper side between the 1954’s great remake and the 1975’s botched remake.

Previously I wrote of my opinion that Barbra Streisand’s self-indulgence on the classic story spoiled her film version in various ways, which accounted for why filmmakers avoided newer remakes. So this summer I was gratified to hear that finally—after more than 40 years—Hollywood’s banishment of A Star Is Born was finally at an end.

And so, earlier this month, Dyanne and I took our seats at the Del Oro Theater—a historic Art Deco theater in Grass Valley, CA —for the opening night screening.  How lucky we are to have one of the grand vintage film venues in our community to see first-run films!

While we waited for the movie trailers, I looked around and saw a crowd of about 200 with a good cross section of millennials, Xers, and boomers. I asked the young couple near us what brought them to the show and they said they were fans of the two stars. They were referring to Bradley Cooper, 43, who plays the “falling star” and who also directed the film in his directorial debut, and Lady Gaga, 32, who plays the “rising star” in her film acting debut.

Timing can be everything, and I very much approve of these two stars’ decision to make this film now in their respective careers. In my previous review, I discussed the reasons why the ages of the stars of A Star Is Born are so important in the casting of the story, which still holds for this version as well:

“In any version of A Star is Born past or, hopefully, future, the rising female star cannot be an ingénue—she’s done her journeyman work and is now past her 20s—and we absolutely must see the male lead prematurely burn out from the pressures of stardom and his own ego. We could not simply watch his downfall because he’s aging ungracefully. It’s not a story about the young and old, it’s about love and rivalry within the 30s and 40s set. A Star Is Born can be redone for every generation because it is about the select few whose struggles get them to the top and then peers into how badly it can go from there, and therein lies its appeal.”

I have heard of two sources for the inspiration of the original A Star Is Born in 1937. The George Cukor directed What Price Hollywood (1932) is often cited because of its similar storyline.  Recently I heard another theory that the original A Star Is Born was inspired or based on Hollywood gossip of the day about the rocky marriage between superstar Barbara Stanwyck and her husband Frank Fay, a faded star of the New York stage. Fay pushed Stanwyck in her early career while neglecting his own, and by 1937 his career had nosedived and reputation soured from his alcoholism and own misbehavior. I find it interesting that in 1937 Fay was 45 and Stanwyck was 30.

In my previous review, my biggest complaint about the flawed Streisand version was her decision to play up her own role while downplaying Kristofferson’s. She basically played a Streisand-type singing sensation, while Kristofferson was relegated to impersonating a Jim Morrison-type rock god.  That was a shame because he was in top form in the 1970s as a Americana-style singer-songwriter. However, perhaps Kristofferson is having the last laugh. In this version, Bradley Cooper plays a singer whose persona might have been modeled after Kris Kristofferson’s. The songs are in the Americana style and co-written by Lukas Nelson, son of Willie Nelson.  Kristofferson toured with Willie Nelson in the 1970s in the supergroup The Outlaws, with Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.

The box office draw for the new A Star is Born has a lot to do with people’s curiosity about Lady Gaga in her debut film. Her fans want to check out if the superstar entertainer will be able to build a second career in Hollywood. Over the decades, many hit-making singing sensations have tried, but few succeeded with that ambition. The winners include Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Elvis Presley, Barbara Streisand, Will Smith, and Justin Timberlake. Oh, and give Kristofferson an honorable mention.

In this film, I feel that Bradley Cooper was charitable to Lady Gaga. For one thing, Lady Gaga gets to play a singer who sings like Lady Gaga. Also, her character’s development is often depicted in easygoing improvised scenes involving her and  Cooper. This doesn’t tax Lady Gaga’s acting ability too much, and she gets to show off her natural charm. As a film star, she has an appealing and interesting face and natural body language, which are both must-haves for any sustainable Hollywood career.

Music is central to all of the A Star Is Born remakes. The earlier versions did not disappoint musically. Version #2 had Judy Garland singing one of her biggest hits, “The Man Who Got Away,” which still ranks #11 in the American Film Institutes Top 100 Film Songs. Barbra Streisand’s film has her singing one of her biggest hits, “Evergreen,” which ranks #16 on the AFI’s song list. The Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga duet “Shallow” debuted on the Billboard Top 100 at #23.  It’s a good song, but who knows if it will make the AFI list someday.

One postscript: seeing A Star Is Born on opening night made for a fun evening out. For one thing, it’s always a joy when one’s laughter at comedy bits is joined by that of a couple hundred other people also enjoying themselves in the same theater. That would most likely happen when you’re out to see a star-studded romantic movie on opening night. Not enough films these days fit that bill.