It’s been a really long time since a movie has left me leaving the theater completely mind-blown and questioning the different aspects of my own life. Let me explain why.
A Star is Born (2018)- directed by Bradley Cooper and starring Lady Gaga- has an assortment of amazing actors from Sam Elliott to Dave Chappelle. It’s the third version of the film and fourth rendition of this timeless story. Although each story has its own little twist, each story mainly consists of the encounter between two artists, one being famous and the other being more or less unknown. The stories emphasize the bond that forms between them and the ultimate birthing of a star in the public eye.
This particular story unfolds the same way as the 1976 version with Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. A troubled artist, played by Bradley Cooper in the 2018 version and Kris Kristofferson in the 1976 version, encounters an incredibly talented female starlet and their connection blossoms from there.
In the new rendition Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) and Ally (Lady Gaga) meet after one of Maine’s concerts. In order to avoid traffic on his way home, an obviously already intoxicated Maine asks his driver to stop at a bar where he continues to drink and eventually runs into Ally. This venue is a drag bar and Ally is the only female exception on this list of performers because of how much the other performers love her. Ramon, who is played by Anthony Ramos in the film, immediately recognizes Maine and makes sure he stays for Ally’s performance. After watching her spill her heart out during her cover of Édith Paif’s “La Vie En Rose” (one of the many performances from this film that is a MUST SEE), Maine is immediately smitten and in turn, after the show and after some convincing, ends up taking Ally out for some more drinks.
Long story short, the night ends with them conversing in the parking lot of a grocery store and Maine is exposed once again to Ally’s amazing voice. He expresses the potential he sees in her as a singer and songwriter and from then on the chemistry between the two is undeniably present. Their love for each other stems from each of their individual passions for music and songwriting. They share the stage in a multitude of scenes and their love for each other grows strong and genuine after every performance.
Although their connection is booming, Maine’s drinking continues to stay an issue. That bad habit tends to lead to other habits and ultimately Ally is faced with the realization that she developed a relationship with someone that she might have to take care of. As the title of the movie explains, this is the story of Ally’s rise to fame and all the consequences and hardships that all of that comes with.
The reason why this movie is so powerful isn’t just because of the music, as a lot of people have been expressing, although that is a monumental part; it has to do with the relatability of some of the most climactic scenes of the movie. Jackson’s drinking and addiction to a multitude of drugs has him slipping in and out of reality. The relatability of this story and the unique type of relationship that the main characters have keeps moviegoers on their toes and waiting for more. The story continues to unravel and more heartbreak, shock, creativity, and sheer emotion are thrown onto the screen. It’s a definite trip in terms of the storyline and I haven’t even mentioned the music yet.
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If you haven’t checked the soundtrack of this film out on Apple Music, Spotify or Youtube, you’re missing out! Not only is all of the music original and written for the film but boy can these people sing! We all know that Gaga’s voice is a force to be reckoned with but who would’ve thought that our Hangover heart throb could get us with his voice!
In an interview with Ellen, Bradley Cooper explains that his character showcases enough of his talent so that Gaga’s character’s voice still stands out. Being that he is the director of this film I understand his mentality but I’m sure anyone who has listened to “Shallow” from the album can agree that Cooper has a voice that could captivate his own audience if he chose to take that path. Gaga and Cooper can truly resonate off of each other in terms of the emotion in their voices and “Shallow” isn’t the only example of this. “I Don’t Know What Love Is”, “Music to My Eyes”, and “Diggin’ My Grave” are just some examples of the unique sound from the film with both Cooper and Gaga on vocals.
They both have their own solo tracks and those also encapsulate their own particular emotion and their character’s emotion in that specific part of the film. Gaga’s performance of “Always Remember Us This Way” (my personal favorite), written by Gaga, Natalie Hemby, Hillary Lindsey, and Lori McKenna, is meant to capture the love and admiration she has for her SO, Jackson. She sings, “That Arizona sky burning in your eyes, you look at me and baby wanna catch on fire. It’s buried in my soul like California Gold. You found the light in me that I couldn’t find.” This connection that they develop throughout the whole film thrives off of their individual passion for art, music, and creativity. When this passion is compromised their relationship is too and that’s when the story starts to get a bit heavier and focuses on mental health and mending past issues that were pushed aside in all this chaos.
This film, in its totality, addresses numerous issues that are prevalent in today’s society. We can all relate with the story one way or another whether it be through mental health and its struggles, amazing friendships, unhealthy familial relationships, finding one’s self, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, or any other theme that is prevalent in the story. We can all take something out of this movie and this is why you’ll leave the theater questioning different aspects of your own life, I can almost guarantee it.
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Fame takes over many people’s lives and the lack of privacy and the constant search to find a way to impress more and more people can take over sometimes. Although this movie is an emotional rollercoaster and talks about heavy topics, the hard work, cinematography, soundtrack and story create an experience that is unlike any other and I highly encourage EVERYONE go check this movie out.