THE REEL: A Star is Born

A poster for the film "A Star is Born". PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Jackson, a famous country music singer, is sitting in a bar, when out comes this amazing singer singing the signature song of popular French singer.
  • The singer, Ally, gives him her story and how she came to love music and singing.
  • Ally joins Jackson on his tour and gets to perform with him some of her own compositions.
  • Do you have feedback on this article? Please email: [email protected]

I only heard that Lady Gaga had some cameo on “Sopranos”, but it wasn’t long enough to have made an impression of her as an actress.

However, in A Star is Born, the fourth remake of the original 1937 film, her acting is all out there for everyone to see.

The movie follows Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper), a famous country music singer who is privately battling an alcohol and drug addiction. Jackson stumbles into a drag bar one time, in his quest to find a place that might quench his liquor parch, in an unfamiliar area.

As he sits in the bar, out comes this amazing singer singing the signature song of popular French singer Édith Piaf "La Vie en rose". The performance moves him to tears and he decides to wait for her to come from back stage. The singer, Ally (Lady Gaga), gives him her story and how she came to love music and singing.

She gives him a taste of her own compositions and he feels like she has so much talent to offer the world of music. Despite being sceptical in the beginning, Ally joins Jackson on his tour and gets to perform with him some of her own compositions.

With the two now already in a relationship, Jackson tries to fight his dark side of intoxication with recreational drugs and liquor. However, it is a battle that he wins, and loses, in equal measure – if not more towards the negative.

BATTLE WITHIN

The movie is a sad story of a person whom you can clearly see wanting to be the best he can be and yet he cannot find the strength to just stay the course. Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of a talented but self-destroying artiste is amazingly powerful. To see this person who has a lot going on for him that you would believe he would want to prevail over his circumstances, only for him to let himself and those around him down time and again is as disheartening as it is irritating. His older brother Bobby (Sam Elliott) has been his support all along as well as his manager, and has been trying to get him to take better care of himself.

Lady Gaga’s character is a woman from a hardworking family with her father Lorenzo (Andrew Dice Clay) always trying to be positive about things. She takes the opportunity to be a musician and runs with it. Her loyalty is almost to a fault as she not only loves and appreciates Jackson, she believes that he can be a better person and is really good for her to grow as a person.

In the end you’re just torn between rooting for the guy who gave this girl a chance at living her dream, and her just letting him go because it may seem that his case is already a foregone conclusion.

Of course, the supporting cast is amazing all through and the film itself, from the shots to soundtrack. It is a very emotional picture. It’s an amazing date-night movie, or if you just simply want to watch a movie by yourself. Due to some sexual and nude scenes, and graphically coarse language, you would want to keep this movie for people aged 18 and above.

***
Do you have feedback on this article? Please email: [email protected]