If you’ve been to the movie theater lately, you’ve probably seen a bunch of trailers for A Star is Born, a remake of past films of the same name. This adaptation, directed by Bradley Cooper, stars Cooper himself and Lady Gaga. The musical romantic drama opened on October 5. The movie follows the story of Jackson Maine (Cooper), a rugged, veteran musician, and Ally (Lady Gaga), a struggling singer afraid of showing her true self. The two hit it off instantly when they meet, with Jackson falling in love with her beautiful voice and Ally charmed by his endless compliments. She eventually starts coming to his shows, reluctantly allowing him to pull her into the spotlight with him and sing in front of huge audiences. As Ally’s career catapults into newfound fame, Jackson continues to struggle with himself, unable to overcome his alcoholism and drug addiction.
Lady Gaga stole the show for me. Her singing is, of course, phenomenal, but her acting made me fall in love with her character. Especially in the beginning, Ally doesn’t let herself completely trust Jackson right away. Jackson possesses all the qualities of a stereotypical romance movie lead: brooding, excessively complimentary, and charismatic. During points when the audience laughed at Jackson’s ridiculous admiration (like when he is obsessed over her nose), Ally wasn’t completely wooed. Their flirtations at the beginning of the movie were lighthearted and sweet, and while Jackson sometimes induced audience member eye rolls, the movie explored the relationship well and made you want to be happy for the couple.
What made me fall in love with Ally in the beginning of the movie was her independence and how she didn’t put up with the unfairness people (especially men) threw at her. When we first meet her, she is yelling in the bathroom of the restaurant she works at, breaking up with her boyfriend while on break. For me, her character peaked during the first half of the movie.
If you’re familiar with the typical “hometown girl suddenly bursts into fame” narrative, it isn’t surprising that Ally’s music manager wants to change her image and make her into a shallow pop star. As she becomes a household name, Jackson spirals deeper into his addictions, beginning to take it out on Ally and resenting her fame and the way she became a “sellout.” In the end, what damaged the movie was the way Ally was seemingly expected to stay with Jackson despite his problems. I won’t go into detail in the spirit of keeping this review spoiler-free, but I couldn’t help but think of people who shamed Ariana Grande for leaving Mac Miller instead of helping him with problems beyond her control. If it is affecting her health and self-worth, a woman should not be expected to stay with a man, even when his addictions and illnesses are not his fault.
I wanted to see Ally become angrier. I wanted the Ally who made it clear to others when they were disrespecting her to make a reappearance and tell her manager and Jackson that she was her own person––one who shouldn’t be subjected to what a man thinks is best for her. We see a hint of this realization at the very end of the movie, but we don’t get an explicit scene where Ally truly, completely defends herself. There are barely any other female characters in this movie, so there is a lot of pressure to make the one woman shine.
Flaws aside, I would be lying if I said this movie didn’t tug at my heartstrings. It will make you feel for the characters, even when they (ahem, Jackson) are acting problematically. Cooper and Gaga have great chemistry, and you can bet I will keep this soundtrack on repeat.