A Star Is Born

Is the fourth remake of A Star is Born really necessary? Yes, I know, no film is ever really necessary. Civilization thrived for years before the Lumières and will continue to do so long after Bezos has us all hooked into a giant tube downloading “content” directly into our brains. Still, in the light of soaring ticket prices and in a packed awards season, it is fair to ask: What does this version offer that the previous versions don’t? Will I get something new from this incarnation that I couldn’t from any of the previous ones?

The answer sadly, for me at least, was no. Bradley Cooper’s version of the age-old Hollywood tale feels dated in all but the technical aspects. Yes, it is beautifully shot, The songs are catchy, performances strong, editing sharp and sound design pitch perfect. But the screenplay severely lets the movie down. There was a great opportunity to take a contemporary look at fame and its side effects. To be fair the movie does dabble into the Youtubes and the Selfies but it feels like a 40-year old’s impression of what the kids are doing these days. A scene is devoted to Lady Gaga’s Ally finding an audience through a viral Youtube clip. However, there is no exploration of how becoming famous online is different from the conventional routes to fame that existed in the pre-internet era. There is no commentary on the ephemeral and toxic nature of modern fandom. Both Ally and Bradley Cooper’s Jack have several very public missteps but they seem to occur in a vacuum without any real-world consequences.

Moreover, another one of the movie’s central themes, the self-doubt felt by Ally, also felt very underdeveloped. When we first meet Ally, her self-esteem could hardly be lower. She was extremely relatable. I was ready to accompany her on a journey of self-discovery. But what could have been an epic journey was more like a gentle jaunt across the block. The whole time I was sitting in my seat thinking why was she so unsure of herself. Because she definitely seemed to get over her issues very quickly. All it took was one man telling her how awesome her nose was for her to come out of her shell.

That all said, this is not a terrible movie. If the rest of the review seems harsh it’s because I expected better. I expected more than just a perfectly pleasant crowd-pleasing boy meets girl story. The connection between the central pair is believable. And I’d be lying if I say that Shallow hasn’t been a permanent resident of my playlist for the last few weeks. As an evening of light entertainment, A Star is Born is probably only second to Bohemian Rhapsody in the theatres right now. But as a serious awards contender, it is far behind several of this year’s earlier releases.

#AStarIsBorn #FilmReview