I’ll admit — I was a little late to the game and only watched the 2018 A Star is Born for the first time last week. I’d meant to see it for so long, but work, friends, and extracurriculars interfered. But, wow, I’m so glad I finally went to a viewing of it on campus. Filled with exquisite acting, beautiful songs, and so much talent, the latest rendition of A Star is Born is breathtaking and amazing. It’s highly deserving of all the Oscar nominations it’s received, and I hope the actors and production walk away with many blocks of gold this weekend. Without spoiling the movie, I thought I’d share with you a couple of the best attributes of the movie, in hopes of convincing you to see it if you haven’t. I promise it’s worth your time!
Image Courtesy of GIPHY
The songs
By far, the songs are the best part of the movie. Everyone’s heard Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s fantastic duet, “Shallow,” but other songs are equally impressive. “I’ll Never Love Again,” “Always Remember Us This Way,” “Hair Body Face” and “Why Did You Do That” were all stuck in my head for days after I saw the film. Plus, all of the songs were performed live, so Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper actually sing in each scene — Gaga insisted on no lip-synching.
Bradley Cooper’s voice
On the topic of singing, have you heard Bradley Cooper’s voice? We all knew Lady Gaga was an amazing singer, but no one knew about Bradley Cooper. He provides a nice rock-country tone to all the songs, and he compliments Gaga’s voice well. Apparently, he also wrote many — if not all — of the songs, so he’s a great songwriter, as well. Who knew!
Lady Gaga as an actress
In the opposite vein, we also get to see Lady Gaga try acting — and, boy, is she skilled at it. She plays a character so unlike herself, and her performance was convincing enough to earn her a nomination for an Oscar for best actress. Can you imagine getting an Oscar nomination after your first movie? If only we could all be as talented as Gaga.
Discussing the difficult
The movie also does a nice job addressing hard issues like mental health, alcoholism, and suicide. I haven’t seen the other versions of A Star is Born yet, but from what I’ve heard, this movie touches on these topics more than the previous renditions. So many movies fail to do those topics justice, but Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, and all the supporting actors convey them accurately yet with sensitivity at the same time.
The painful reality of the plot
Mentioning those tough ideas like mental health, alcoholism, and suicide did highlight how devastating they can be. Though seeing those scenes was difficult and sad, I appreciated how realistic the actors depicted them. Also, the idea of one person helping another succeed at the expense of their own success is more common than one might think, and this movie presented how challenging that can be, especially in a romantic relationship.
The thoughtful symbolism
I don’t want to give away too much, but the movie had great symbolism throughout. The recurring red imagery, the subtle references to other versions of A Star is Born, and every other piece of symbolism helped the movie be a creative work of art, and it enhanced the thoughtfulness of the film.
The movie had so many other wonderful attributes, but I don’t want to spoil specific scenes, so go see it for yourself — and hopefully before the Oscars on Sunday! I’d be shocked if it didn’t win some major awards.
P.S. Here’s a clip of “Shallow” if I still haven’t convinced you.