Review: "A Star is Born" (2018) is a Powerhouse of Movie Magic

Scene from A Star is Born (2018)

It's a moment that has been a bit ruined by the trailers, but what director Bradley Cooper captures during the "Shallow" sequence can only be described as movie magic. Country star Jackson Maine (Cooper) prods Ally (Lady Gaga) onto stage to sing her original song, previously introduced as this throwaway ditty in a parking lot late at night. As the guitars and drums build, the intensity kicks in and suddenly Ally is out there, nervously singing her own song. However, there's a moment of impulse that allows her to free herself, breaking out into a proud harmony that tears through her, breaking into the chorus so beautifully. Better than just about any other version, Cooper has captured the magic of A Star is Born not in words, but in a ferocity of energy. It's also a moment where Gaga has evolved into an actress to be reckoned with, as the next two hours take her on a whirlwind of triumph and heartbreak. But for one moment, it was all perfect. For whatever faults Cooper brings to his directorial debut, he makes up for it with sheer joy and power in one of the best takes of A Star is Born to hit the screen.

There's a certain levity that comes with remaking A Star is Born. The franchise first kicked off in 1937 with the William A. Wellman film that posited that for every rising star, one must fall. It was hypercritical of the younger Hollywood and served as the basis for the three adaptations that followed. The likes of Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand have taken their chances at making the source mater more vital, and have succeeded to varying degrees. It's why it's tough to imagine that a remake, averaging 20 years apart in the past but almost 40 this time around, could possibly improve on what's been done. To say the least, Cooper doesn't entirely get there as a director - but it's not without some loving tribute to what's come before. This is one of the most cohesive takes on the story that pays tribute to all three while expanding the story to something modern and different from even the time that Streisand was a pop phenomenon capable of controlling her own film set.

It's a world where digital media has made privacy more difficult, where even the cashier can take out her cell phone and snap a picture. Every move has to be calculated at the risk of being labeled a risk. Even the way that pop music has changed in the 42 years since Streisand feels different, if just because there's a manufactured quality to the sound. The idea of being a star is difficult because they're chewed up and spit out almost hourly, with attention spans not allowing for too much nonsense. This is the world that Cooper's A Star is Born takes place in, where fame is earned through bold acts, such as performing with country stars as cell phones film the potential mistake. Even the way that Ally ascends in the film isn't entirely the same as the other versions, in large part because that's not how it happens anymore. In some respects, it's why the film works so well.

It also works well because of Lady Gaga, who breaks out of her Robert Rodriguez-produced schlock to turn in one of the first undeniable powerhouse performances of 2018. As a singer, she has proven herself countless times as someone with a vocal power to tear through anyone's emotional walls. Here, she goes even further at creating something so raw and powerful, in part because her character may feel autobiographical. The idea of Gaga playing in drag bars and having image disputes with her record label are all things she's been associated with over the short decade of her career. In fact, it's a miracle that a performer so rooted in gimmicks has made it this far, and it's in large part because she had more to offer. Where she was once the meat dress girl, now she's going through a new song book of anthems as she carries a movie that needs her. As competent as Cooper is at directing and writing, it's still the same A Star is Born structure. It needs a star to work, and Lady Gaga is just that.

There's something a bit disparaging as well in the talent of Lady Gaga and Cooper. Where she is a natural born star, having decades to prove herself, Cooper feels a bit at odds. While an adequate singer, he still struggles to keep up with her - instead relying on the dramatic moments to make his performance pop. He is the typical drunk here, and you buy into his struggles because Cooper makes it convincing. Even then, it's his brother Bobby (Sam Elliott) who gives him the emotional depth. They're brothers with a tragic backstory, and the journey that they go on is far richer and more perplexing than any supporting character of the previous versions. There's heart in Jackson and Bobby's relationship that makes you want Jackson to pull through. It isn't entirely rooted in the romance, thankfully, this time around. Even on Ally's side, her family life (including a surprisingly effective performance by Andrew Dice Clay as her father) is full of rich characteristics. The world that Cooper has created is fully satisfying, even if he's not ever the best part of it.

Is he a good director? While he's primed to get the Warren Beatty specialty of four Oscar nominations (see: Heaven Can Wait, Reds), he isn't anywhere near as exciting of a filmmaker. While it's admirable that he did so much for his character, there's little here that is promising as the next virtuoso. The only thing that really shines through is his admiration for the previous films, and his ability to build upon them. What he has created is a crowd pleaser, guaranteed to have several empathetic laugh lines and even more emotional tearjerker scenes. He's still a good director, but Cooper is more bold than interesting - including the fact that he shot all of the concert footage live and not through composite imagery. This film feels organic in a big studio sense, improving upon the issues with Frank Pierson's 1976 version. He knows how to make character beats work, leaving plenty to talk about by the end. With that said, he could've hired anyone else to play Jackson (maybe even a country musician-actor) and maybe had a better impact. Oh well, there goes the way of hubris.

The film is far from perfect, hitting all of the familiar notes of the previous entries. It's not a bad thing that the film feels familiar in that way, though it stops short of being fully satisfying because of what feels antiquated to a different time - such as Jackson's alcoholism. Still, this is a film that never lets up just how much fun the experience of being in this moment is. Cooper captures the intimate moments with such clarity that it at times surpasses the best of the others. He creates a world that is modern and familiar, and likely one that will be distilled in a meaningful way. This is just what you'd expect from a 21st century version of A Star is Born, down to its lovely cast and amazing lead performance by Lady Gaga. There's a power and emotion behind every decision, even if it lags at points and is too self-indulgent at others. Where the film succeeds is making you get lost in the moments that work, feeling movie magic overwhelm the senses and wish that the film could keep going. It's an incredible feeling, and it's what Cooper does best as a film maker.