Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s A Star is Born has taken the nation by storm. Directed by Cooper and starring both himself and Gaga as singer-songwriters who face the ups and downs of their careers, the film shows the beauty of new love and music in addition to the hardships of fame and loss. Here are some of the highlights of the movie. No spoilers!
A Star is Born features Cooper’s character’s, Jackson Maine’s, tinnitus: a physical issue that impacts his hearing as well as his mental health. His pain on screen is palpably translated to audiences through sound editing that allows viewers to hear a ringing noise throughout certain parts of the movie.
Lady Gaga holds her own! After winning the Golden Globe for American Horror Story in 2016, Gaga takes her acting talents to the silver screen, making her debut as Ally in A Star is Born. Her vocals add serious power to the overall amazing soundtrack of the film that has a remarkable mix of country and pop songs. Listen to “Shallow” here!
The movie has received great critical acclaim and might be on its way to receiving some Oscar nominations *fingers crossed.* Northwestern students are also giving it their own rave reviews. Third-year student Emma Feldman says, “I thought that the plot line was very well developed and you could see clearly the development of Jack and Ally’s relationship, which made the later events even more emotional.” Radio/Television/Film major and junior Sydney Feyder also makes note that “the directing was very stylized, unlike a typical big Hollywood romance movie.” The film remains a multilayered, ambitious project, but Cooper’s experience and Gaga’s passion create a movie worth experiencing.
Also, Bradley Cooper’s real-life dog Charlie plays himself in the movie, in case you needed further convincing to go see it!