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.
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