A Star is Born

A Star is Born

The music was outstanding. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper have great chemistry, but as the professional actor Cooper displayed more emotion and pathos. This being her first movie role and Gaga did a good performance playing Gaga with different levels of makeup. She starts out as a struggling singer/waitress sans make up. If you saw her walking down the street you would look like any other young women. As her career takes off there is more make up and in the last set she is the full blown Gaga, the one we know and love.

This is the fourth iteration of this movie. Alley’s, the Gaga character, stardom is on a rocket. With  help from Jackson, Cooper’s character, she shots right into stardom. There is no blood, sweat and tears. Her character would have been more compelling  if her stardom was more of a struggle. She did a good job playing herself. As an inside joke much is made of her nose, as being too big a drag on her career. This is reminiscent of her acting teacher at NYU saying she was too ethnic.

Cooper is a double threat. Besides staring he directed the film. The film was cohesive and conveyed a strong story. Jackson is a tortured soul who is an acholic/ pill popper. He also suffers from tinnitus, which for a musician can be career ending. There are  demons in his past which he drowns with alcohol and pills. Cooper delivers a captivating performance.

There are wonderful supporting stars. Sam Elliot plays his brother. Elliot is the older brother who raised Jackson after their father died. It is hinted that Elliot’s music ambitions were eclipsed by his brother. Elliot uses his throaty voice to project his love and frustration for this brother.

It was a delight to see Dave Chappelle and Andrew Dice Clay. Both were meatier and not easily recognizable. Chappelle was a friend of Jackson, and it is implied that Jackson had crashed  at Chappelle’s home a few times. Clay was Gaga’s father, a prefect role for Clay. He claimed he could sing better than Sinatra but is a limo driver now. His scenes were brief but he showed some good acting chops.

If you are a fan of  the Star is Born movies  definitely see this movie. If you are a Little Monster, enough said. Coopers performance is a good enough reason to see the film plus he is a dam good director.