A Star is Born (2018)

In 2018, Bradley Cooper made his directorial debut in A Star is Born, the fourth reboot of a time-honoured story about a Rockstar, Jackson Maine, who is slowly fading from the limelight, meeting a talented singer, Ally (played by Lady Gaga). Whilst the pair grow closer, Jackson helps the struggling artist find her voice and realise she has something important to say. Both lead actors shared an extreme commitment to the movie, with Bradley Cooper learning the guitar and piano, and both helping to write the astounding original songs. Both performances from the lead actors are phenomenal, with Bradley Cooper giving his best performance in a movie to date, and Lady Gaga putting it all into an electrifying and authentic film debut that is guaranteed to impress many.

The movie’s soundtrack is a key part of the subtle storytelling throughout. From Jackson’s initial country and rock songs to Ally’s emerging pop, not only are the songs electric and rhythmic, they also can convey an underlying, turbulent message the movie foreshadows from the beginning. However, the best moments in the movie are undeniably when both characters duet, specifically the song “Shallow” where the two make profound insights into each other’s hopes and fears. There are some interesting creative choices in the concert scenes that create an immersive and exciting musical experience. These include the lighting decision to have mainly vibrant colours of red and blue shining on the characters, which is typically seen in music videos, and when they’re on stage the camera (mostly composed of beautiful hand-held shots) is looking out into the crowd to let viewers feel as if they’re on stage too!

Purposefully, celebrities were casted to play themselves in cameos throughout the film and all the concert scenes were filmed live to make the events in the movie more believable. Therefore, when viewing the highs and lows of the movie, I couldn’t help but feel the powerful emotions that were intended to be felt due to the purposeful creative decisions made.

Furthermore, whilst at times A Star is Born is a heartfelt, funny, and romantic movie, it also depicts some very sensitive topics including alcohol and drug abuse. These sensitive topics are handled very well, ensuring that they show the realities of these devastating subjects. It’s very apparent that Cooper had wanted to examine certain themes that show up in the movie for quite some time including trauma as a child, addiction, and relationships with family members. This is shown through the most powerful scenes being between Jackson and his brother, who is expertly played by Sam Elliot, where many of these themes are explored with great emotional impact.

Finally, A Star is Born is an unforgettable movie with a lot of love, music, and heartbreak.