THERE ARE SPOILERS!
This past weekend, my dearest friend flew in to Las Vegas for another friend’s wedding and to watch A Star Is Born with me (plus some co-misery). After countless mimosas – we literally lost count – we dragged ourselves to a matinee showing. Below is my review.
I’ve never seen any of the originals. Should I have? Would it have better prepared me? It’s an advantage, I think, to have zero context. I can evaluate it on its own merits instead of how it compares to the other films.
Synopsis: Jackson Maine is an alcoholic rock star who meets a drag bar songstress, Ally, and sweeps her off her feet. Huh, I don’t even know her last name…
Let’s get the good stuff out first.
Bradley Cooper’s performance. This man knows how to inhabit a character…I had half a mind to stream his music. He’d be offended I didn’t purchase a vinyl record though. He was ruddy like an alcoholic, he had the glazed look of an alcoholic, and he sounded like he was 60. What he lacked was the body of an alcoholic. They don’t have six-packs. Put that out your mind. They’re either too skinny to stand or too bloated to get up.
The music. I’m a sucker for bluesy rock and semi-profound lyrics. I’m streaming this soundtrack, for sure. While it was confusing to me what song they were singing – were each excerpts the same song, “Shallow”? – it all sounded groovy.
The allegory of Lady Gaga’s own career. For those who’ve been following along and understand the role Dr. Luke played in her career, it was utterly creepy and resonant to watch how Ally’s manager molds her into a pop princess. From dying her hair to including dancers to SNL performances. Lady Gaga took a freak route, but her music – though good – was still overproduced, overcompressed radio bait.
Ok, now the not so good stuff.
The editing. It was a miracle that I didn’t yak from all the mimosas and quick cuts. The moments that needed to breathe were “cut to the chase,” while the moments I couldn’t give a care about lasted way too damn long. Ally’s rise to fame was so backseat, everything that happened in that plot was a surprise. For someone who put her foot down with her alcoholic husband, she barely raised her voice with her manager. All of a sudden she went from a soulful balladeer to inflatable doll. We didn’t get any sense of how Ally felt about any of this because the moments where she got room to breathe were all about Jackson…which brings me to…
Lady Gaga’s acting. Lots of people are screaming Oscar nom…but I don’t think ya’ll are watching the same movie, or maybe you’re thinking of the other films, or maybe you have bad taste. I don’t know. Objectively, Ally had no levels. Every scene was the same level. Even when she was crying, even when she was telling Jackson to Fuck Off, even when she was ecstatic to be offered a record deal…all we got were dead eyes. I knew this going in – for all her artistry, there’s something about Gaga that doesn’t connect. It’s why those obtrusive sunglasses she used to wear worked so well. She did a good job. I could see her working it. But, like, when you compare it to another Oscar-winning singer/actor…Jennifer Hudson…like, there’s no way Gaga is getting this EGOT for her acting.
The moral and suicide. This is the worst part. First of all, no alcoholic is this selfless. If they were, they wouldn’t drink so fucking much. Cooper is molding a character that just doesn’t exist in real life. The whole reason why AA members make amends is because they have to recognize and reconcile their selfish actions. They weren’t there for the people they love. And you expect us to believe Jackson is at every Ally gig? And it all works out for her (ish) – he realizes his mistake and goes to rehab! All she had to do was be patient with him! Then there’s the conversation at rehab. This really ticked me off. I read that a lot of the dialogue was improv…so…jeez. When Jackson is trying to apologize – rightly – for his bad behavior, Ally says, “It’s not your fault. It’s a disease.” Sure, it can be considered a disease – jury is still out on that one – but it doesn’t mean your husband should not be held accountable and take responsibility for his shitty actions. And 2.5 hours of this movie, not one mention until the last third about his being suicidal in his youth…then BAM, he hangs himself from a ceiling fan. I knew the moment they talked about it, he was going to make another attempt. But they hadn’t built up enough tension for it to really make an impact. The fallout felt so hollow. I mean, I cried, but I was also 20 mimosas deep and living in a post-Trump hellscape so my nerves are really sensitive.
All in all, it’s an entertaining but superficial ride. You can feel the movie pulling the strings of your emotions. If it weren’t for how likable a drunk Cooper was, I’d probably have walked out.
BONUS GIF
This scene is EXACTLY like a Mentos commercial, ya’ll…
