Remakes are almost always frowned upon. Very few do its predecessor justice, but in the cases of its four remakes, Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born would be a difficult one to pull off, in theory. Though, he sure did.
Plot
Cooper directed and starred in the film as Jackson Maine, a gruff-voiced rock ‘n’ roller struggling with drugs and alcohol. Cooper recruited Lady Gaga for the part of Ally Campana, an aspiring singer.
In the movie, Campana wrote her own songs but wouldn’t perform them. The music industry had discouraged her. Though each variation of the 1932 film differed, they all included the same concept: The female lead’s career soaring while that of her male counterpart’s regressed. The movie allows us to see the build-up of their relationship, from start to finish.
Jack was drawn to Ally after seeing her hypnotic rendition of Edith Piaf’s “La vie en rose.” (Funny enough, it was the song Cooper heard Gaga sing when he knew he wanted her for the role.) From there, the two venture on a night out together. They later find themselves sitting in a supermarket parking lot, after Ally punched a cop and Jack applied a bag of peas to her damaged hand. It is the tender, honest conversation between the two that allows viewers to truly see their evident connection. Recognizing her talent, Jack asked Ally to join him on tour.
Music
As if the trailer didn’t excite me enough, the first two minutes got me buzzing in my seat, waiting to hear more. When Jack stumbles onto stage and electrified the crowd with his guitar, you almost forget that he’s a drunk and popped pills seconds earlier. But, it’s when he opens his mouth to sing that he stuns everyone. Who knew Bradley Cooper could sing, especially in such a raw and heart-wrenching way?
It isn’t until Ally joins Jack onstage with a performance of “Shallow” that the crowd really begins to get in their feels. It’s the big scene that showcases her as more than a waitress who performs in a drag bar after hours. The power in her voice shows a great contrast to her vulnerable appearance as if the woman deep inside her is finally breaking free. It was a revelation to watch.
Chemistry
You can see the chemistry in their various interviews together, and it translated flawlessly on the screen. Gaga and Cooper have praised each other throughout press tours, saying that they gave each other the confidence to go outside of their comfort zone — Cooper with singing and Gaga with acting.
It seemed that her Oscar-winning performance in American Horror Story: Hotel wasn’t enough to convince people. Many working on the project didn’t see her as Ally.
“There can be a hundred people in the room, and 99 of them won’t believe in you, but all you need is one,” she quoted her vocal coach, Don Lawrence, during an interview with Elle. Cooper was the one.
Pro tip: Don’t bring your girlfriends expecting a fun night out and some sappy romance story. A Star is Born unfolds one of the greatest heartbreaks that seems all too real. So, be prepared, and bring some tissues. You’re in for a long night. A phenomenal one at that.