A Star is Born

Hi film fans!

Want to see a GREAT movie?

Get out to the theater and catch Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga light up the big screen!

Before getting down to why this film is so good, we might note that the Cooper/Gaga version is the fourth iteration of the story.  The original came out in 1937 and starred Janet Gaynor and Frederick March.  The second arrived in 1954 and featured Judy Garland and James Mason.  Then in 1976, in the middle of the disco sound, a remake was done with Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand.

Which is the best?  The latest by far!

The story is familiar:  Famous male rock star is on his way down, hitting the bottle and trying to hang on.  He meets the young, pretty starlet with the wonderful voice and big dreams.  A romance ensues, and needless to say, the couple goes through some tough times.

Let's look at Brad.  The entire film was apparently his vision.  He directed it.  He wrote songs for it.  He sang.  He acted.  He was brilliant as the charming, sometimes loving, sometimes obnoxious, alcohol-bathed star, with a big troubled heart.

If you've seen some of Bradley Cooper's other films, you can easily understand why he is so good in A Star is Born.  He was fantastic opposite Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Lining Playbook.  He was even better as the tormented soldier in American Sniper.  He was perfect in American Hustle.  He garnered Academy Award nominations for all three movies.

Then we have Lady Gaga.  Born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, the young singer rose to stardom about ten years ago.  I remember her when she sang on American Idol.  Did you see her perform at last year's Super Bowl halftime show?

Lady Gaga has an angelic voice.  She does over-the-top performances.  She dresses in audacious, in-your-face outfits.  She is Madonna times ten when it comes to outlandish.  Beneath the glitter and spectacle lies an extraordinarily talented singer.

OK, we know we have two brilliant performers.  But the big question is, how do they do together?

The answer: Perfectly!

The chemistry between these two is electric.  The story is all about the vibes between the two.  With Brad and Lady Gaga, it seems so real.  I never felt that way about Kris and Barbra.

The songs are magic.  The scenes are dramatic.  The love story is so moving it is palpable.

Oh, don't forget about the great supporting actor Sam Elliott.  To me, Sam's best work is in westerns.  If you don't know him well, watch him play one of the Earp brothers in Tombstone.  He is dynamite opposite Kurt Russell.

In A Star is Born, he plays the rock star's older brother.  He does so with dignity and panache.  No wonder he has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Supporting Role category.

As long as we're talking Oscars, both Brad Cooper and Lady Gaga are up for Best Actor/Actress.

I won't go into further details, for fear of giving away some plot twists.  Suffice it to say that the movie is a winner!

I give it A+!

 If you enjoy fantastic music, visual spectacles, and love stories, you will experience real film magic.