The Best Movies of the 21st Century (No 18): A STAR IS BORN (2018)
Selection 18 on my list for “Best Films of the 21st Century” is Bradley Cooper’s A Star is Born. When I finalised my choices I was actually surprised this movie made the cut. On reflection, I stuck with my original instinct. Cooper also stars in the film as a talented and troubled country musician, Jackson Maine. Lady Gaga, in her first major dramatic role, co-stars as Ally, a brilliant singer discovered by Maine. Their professional partnership catapults Ally to stardom. The personal and romantic dynamic that develops between these two complex characters also anchors the movie. Sam Elliot and Andrew Dice Clay lead an impressive supporting cast and are essential players in the narrative.
This is the fourth movie production of the same story. The original was in 1937 and starred Janet Gaynor and Frederic March. It was followed by a 1954 musical with Judy Garland and James Mason and the 1976 rock and roll version with Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. I saw the Streisand version 50 years ago and it coloured my attitude toward the 2018 version on release. Simply stated, I did not want to see the movie because the 1976 film was a catastrophe on every level. It was self indulgent and almost unwatchable. It was a sappy, sentimental, gimmicky and predictable and the leads were miscast. Cooler heads prevailed and I decided to give Mr Cooper’s effort two hours of my time and I am happy I made the effort. This was a very good movie- easy on the eyes and entertaining.
The critical response was overwhelmingly positive. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival and became a commercial and popular hit, grossing 450 million dollars worldwide. It landed on the Top Ten lists of both the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute for 2018. The movie received 8 nominations at the Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Cooper, Best Actress for Lady Gaga and Best Supporting Actor for Elliot. It won the Oscar for Best Original song for “Shallow.” It picked up five Golden Globe nominations and four Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, including Best Ensemble. Frankly, there was universal industry admiration for the production so again my selection here is not a revolutionary statement!
The film was a complete winner and found a way to be original with old material. The lead performances generated romantic heat and artistic chemistry. The cinematography was spectacular and the sound track first rate. The movie hooks you immediately. The opening scene is at a drag club and we immediately witness Ally’s raw talent and Maine’s complexity and damaged psyche. The storytelling is relentless and builds momentum. Cooper plays Jackson as musically gifted, but a tormented soul battling a host of personal demons: alcoholism, drug abuse, self pity and a lack of empathy that tips at time into emotional abuse. Cooper manages to keep him likable and you root for Jackson even as you watch him unravel. Gaga is the film’s revelation. Her arc from waitress to superstar tracks her own biography so closely that it is fair to wonder how much of it was acting at all and I mean that as compliment. She belts her musical numbers with a rawness that the camera and sound capture beautifully. The concert scenes have an arena scale authenticity. Gaga is surrounded by big male personas, holds her own scene after scene and is never a wallflower. Kudos to her.
The decline of Jackson and the gradual collapse of their personal and professional relationship is managed with a realism that never tips into melodrama. The film has no major flaws. It works as a love story, a narrative on the music industry, a study of the pressures of celebrity and an expose on the human capacity for self destruction. Cooper’s direction, in his debut behind the camera, is subtle, controlled and tight. Notably, he affords his own character considerably more screen time than the earlier versions gave their male lead. It is a choice that pays off handsomely as we absorb Jackson’s collapse and the reasons behind it
Ally’s relationship with her father (Lorenzo) is a subplot that could have been a distraction, but instead adds another dimension to the story. Lorenzo is limousine driver who fancied himself a singer once but never made it to the big time. He is a man who sees his own thwarted ambitions reflected in his daughter and who hovers over her ascension with a proprietary pride. He is also ultra needy. We learn why Ally had been selling herself short. Eventually, she is operating with two mentor- father figures with radically different motives and points of view. Andrew Dice Clay, as Lorenzo is a genuine surprise. I have never been a fan of his comedy, finding him loud, blustery, rude and a one note Charlie. Here, he is restrained and understated, almost touching at times. Sam Elliot was great and he received an Academy Award nomination. He plays Jackson’s older half brother and long time manager and he is an essential component to the narrative because he shows us exactly where Jackson’s underlying wounds came from in the first place.
What makes A Star is Born first class cinema is that every element of the production pulls in the same direction. The music is not merely an accompaniment or decoration, but is critical to revealing character. The cinematography and sound design put you on the concert stage rather than in the audience. Nothing feels manufactured or borrowed. The production radiates authenticity. Cooper trained his own singing voice and learned to play the guitar for the role. His direction does not call attention to itself. It is an old story but this version finally does it justice.
