A Star Is Born
This article about A Star Is Born is spoiler-filled.
When I was a kid, I used to dream about becoming someone. Whether that was as a professional athlete, an astronaut who traveled to mars, a writer of a famous novel, or the man who cured cancer, I always had a dream for myself and who I wanted to be one day. We’ve all had dreams like this at one point or another in our lives. It’s part of being human to dream of becoming more than what you are. We seek to reach for the stars and believe in things that while maybe out of reach, still seem feasible if the right moment strikes. A Star Is Born is a tale that’s been retold throughout history following this story and part of life. Tackling themes that range from accomplishing goals, to battling with who we really are, this films brings a lot of heavy themes to the table, and not all of them hit the crescendo just how you’d want them to. This is where I want to begin my discussion, with what works and what doesn’t.
Jackson Maine, the secondary protagonist (and potentially antagonist) of the story, played by Bradley Cooper, is a musician on the back nine of his career facing an issue with Alcoholism while he struggles to find joy in the life he’s leading. Immediately we’re smacked in the face with a question for ourselves as to whether or not we see a connection between the struggles he faces in his life, and it begins to hit home as to just how serious the plot will become. As a character, Jackson is complex, but also simplistic in the scheme of the film. He has demons, and lives in a world that seeks to exploit them at every turn. As the story progresses, his problems only grow, and with the dreams he has for the one person he cares about falling by the wayside, he leans into those demons in a way I didn’t expect. Cooper’s performance in this role is absolutely incredible, and the chemistry between him and Lady Gaga’s Ally is some of the best I’ve seen in a long time. It’s something not often seen on cinema screens, and to me, it’s deserved of an Oscar. Simply incredible.
In a completely different world we have Ally, one of the most instantly sympathetic characters I’ve ran into in a film through 2018. Coming from a world that often felt like it left her behind in favor of others, she receives the chance we all dream of: the opportunity to fulfill her dreams. This is something anyone can get behind, and while it seems generic, what the story does with her is what makes her an instantly memorable character. As the film hits it’s 2nd act, we start to see the story of Ally take a turn for the worse, with the world influencing who she becomes, and forcing her to change for fame. It’s a disheartening but easily recognizable battle. We all face the question of becoming what others want of us, or following our own beliefs and doing it in the way we believe we need to. Her and Jackson’s story is heartbreaking and challenging in so many ways that I find myself with tears in my eyes multiple times throughout the film. What Lady Gaga brings to this role is something few other people could, a fantastic actress who comes from a musical background, this was a role she was born to play. Like Cooper, she’s most definitely going to receive consideration for many awards come that time of year.
Outside of the two leads, it shouldn’t really be a question as to what makes this film so instantly memorable: the music. Whether it be the standout “Shallows” heard very early on and in a lot of the promotional material, or “Maybe It’s Time,” there’s so many tracks that are enjoyable upon a first and 100th listening. Unfortunately though, and I know I’m in the minority, I felt like there was a few issues with the story structure. Many times throughout the film we’re introduced to important characters that come out of left field. Whether it be Dave Chappelle’s Noodles, or Sam Elliot’s Bobby Maine, these characters are thrown at you fast, and after they’ve been in the film for multiple scenes, you’re still left wondering who exactly they are. Sure their identities are eventually cleared up, but this bit of confusion and vagueness really left me wishing for better introductions and a cleaner story structure.
I know I didn’t spend a ton of time talking about it, but that issue is rather frequent issue through the film as it tries to tell a coherent story that doesn’t just focus solely on the beautiful and heartbreaking relationship between it’s two leads. Fortunately for A Star Is Born, these two leads make this film feel like something truly special in a film landscape filled with happy musicals, even if there’s some issues in the story structure. With characters like Ally and Jackson, these issues end up falling away and leave you with what is one of the most powerful and heart wrenching love stories in recent memory. When you leave that theater, or turn off that Blu-Ray player, you’ll be left broken in many ways, but profoundly changed for the better.
