Truth is in the title: ‘A Star Is Born’

I'm probably more surprised than anything else that I ended up liking Bradley Cooper's first feature film, "A Star Is Born," as much as I do. I never connected that much with the other versions that I've seen. But Cooper's is different, and here is the review that I wrote for Spokane Public Radio to prove it:

By now, everyone must know the basic plot of the film “A Star Is Born.” The original 1937 version was directed by William A. Wellman from an original team-written script that included the great Dorothy Parker and starred Janet Gaynor and Frederic March.

Gaynor was the ingénue who becomes a big movie star, March the established actor who shepherds her along – eventually marrying her – but falls prey to the alcoholism that has sidetracked his own career and … well, the ending is sad for him, devastating – though ultimately inspiring – for her.

Remade twice, in 1954 with Judy Garland and James Mason and then in 1976 with Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand, the basic storyline now has been interpreted by actor Bradley Cooper – in his first directorial stint – as a project that stars him and the musical prodigy/slash/curiosity Lady Gaga.

Cooper plays Jackson Maine, a rock star able to fill a stadium full of fans, who – once he leaves the stage – is likely to slouch in the backseat of a limousine, his trademark Stetson shading his face, and suck on a bottle of vodka to wash down whatever pills he can pull from his pocket. Jackson, clearly, is a man battling demons.

At the same time, we meet Lady Gaga’s Ally, working as a waitress but harboring big dreams. Ally, no surprise, has a dynamite voice, and an even more impressive stage presence, though, as she claims, her face (particularly her prominent nose) is held against her by the male producers she meets.

The two come together when Jackson stumbles into the bar where Ally just happens to be appearing as the sole live performer during a Friday-night drag show. And, of course, sparks fly. And, equally of course, the two play out the storyline pretty much as had been done the three times prior.

But with these two differences. One, Cooper proves to be far more than just a pretty face. Yes, he’s demonstrated his acting chops in everything from “Silver Linings Playbook” to the “Hangover” franchise, but here he shows real talent behind the camera. From constructing the feel of a stadium rock show to portraying the intimate moments of burgeoning love to those painful incidents that occur between two people who can’t help but strike out emotionally when they don’t feel supported and, finally, to showing how lost hope can leave someone feeling that there’s only one lonely way out, Cooper does it all.

Two, though, is every bit as important. By casting Lady Gaga, a singer/songwriter of proven talent but a virtual unknown in terms of moviemaking, Cooper ensures that his version of this familiar story would prove to be the freshest. By playing Ally as feisty, driven, vulnerable yet hopeful, Lady Gaga makes Ally into a complete character – one that – unlike Streisand in particular – could also believably fill a stadium full of rock fans.

Not everything works in Cooper’s version of “A Star Is Born” But enough does to ensure that this film is, indeed, one of the best releases of 2018. Maybe, even, of this decade.