On Oct. 5, “A Star is Born” was released into the spotlight that is the cinemas.
“A Star is Born” opens with Jack (Bradley Cooper) stepping out on stage after popping some pills and taking a drink, to perform in front of thousands of his fans. Chaotic camera movements give the audience a sense of the chaos that is to come in the next two hours and 15 minutes. Minutes later, Ally (Lady Gaga) and her friend Ramon (Anthony Ramos) get off work and head over to a drag bar where Ally is to perform.
“A Star is Born”, a romantic drama, hit theatres October 5 (Photo Source IMDB)
The camera changes again, and the audience is in the backseat of a car with Jack as he is being chauffeured to his next venue, but upon finishing his bottle of liquor, asks to be let out outside a bar. This bar turns out to be the same drag bar where Ally and Ramon are. It is here that Jack meets Ally, and it is basically a love at first sight situation. Jack peruses Ally in hopes that she will get over her insecurities and perform. He gets what he wants as he pulls her on stage with him the next day to sing one of Ally’s originals. From there, Ally’s life changes as she is reborn a star.
“A Star is Born” is an adaptation of two previous movies of the same name and a musical. The first original movie released in 1937 starred Janet Gaynor and Fredric March; the second film starred Judy Garland and James Mason in 1954. The musical debuted in 1976 with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. There were moments in “A Star is Born” that referenced these past adaptations which made the film a little bit charming. With Bradley Cooper’s character, Jack’s fascination with taking another look at Ally could only allude to a song Barbra Streisand sung in the 1976 musical. Also, Lady Gaga’s character Ally sings “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” as she gets off of work and heads to the performance at the drag bar which most likely alludes to Judy Garland.
Jackson (Bradley Cooper) and Ally’s (Lady Gaga) relationship blooms as Ally joins Jackson on his cross-country tour (Photo Source IMDB).
One highlight of the movie was not only getting to see what Lady Gaga could do with her voice, but what she could do on the big screen. Many know her as the woman who wore a meat dress and released the hit song “Born This Way” that many adored. Some know her for acting on the hit tv show “American Horror Story,” but “A Star is Born” is nothing like what she has done before, and she rocked it. Her role as Ally made it difficult to think of her as anything but Ally.
Bradley Cooper not only starred in “A Star is Born,” but also co-wrote the script and then took the helm as director. In fact, “A Star is Born” is Cooper’s directorial debut, and his work bore fruit. He had such a vision for this film that he was persistent in so many little things. For one, he fought for Lady Gaga to play the lead after he got to sing with her. He also spent over a year learning how to play guitar and how to present himself as a musician. Also, he spent months honing his vocals to be able to sing, as a lot of the singing was performed live on set; there wasn’t lip synching.
After a little struggle, Jack (Bradley Coopers) convinces Ally (Lady Gaga) to get over her insecurities and to sing one of her original songs on stage in front of thousands. @starisbornmovie
The no lip-synching, and only live singing was because of Lady Gaga. She had told Cooper that she hated lip-synching in movies and this aspect only made the film seem more real and more entertaining. It was refreshing to hear the emotion and breaths that a lot of recorded vocals leave out. It also made the actors’ singing more believable as they genuinely became their characters, experiencing the feelings the songs and the lyrics brought. The music itself was brilliant, and there was a variety of songs throughout the film. Cooper’s character had more of a country rock sound, where Gaga’s character got more of a pop sound. But no matter the song, all of the music fit together like puzzle pieces, piecing the movie together beautifully.
Ally (Lady Gaga) and Ramon (Anthony Ramos), two long-time friends, watch from side stage as Jackson Maine performs for his fans. @starisbornmovie
“A Star is Born” is, however, a rated R movie. Due to the romantic nature of the film, there are sexual moments and nudity throughout the film. There is also a significant emphasis on drugs and alcohol as Cooper’s character fights his disease of addiction. There are also mentions of suicide so anyone triggered by any of these things should take caution in seeing the movie.
Overall, “A Star is Born” is a great new adaptation and is worth the watch, even if it is just to listen to the music that has been a result of the film-making.
4.5 out of 5 paws.
