Writer/Director: Bradley Cooper
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga and Sam Elliot
‘A Magnificent Musical Masterpiece’
Few musicians with charisma are as beloved in the modern era as Lady Gaga. Ever since she achieved fame several years ago, Gaga has established a successful career that’s far from shallow. Through her undeniable charisma, Gaga has become a world-famous star in the modern era. Gaga’s greatest strength as a star has always been her ability to compose unforgettable melodies. Through her ability to compose timeless melodies, Gaga has built a lasting legacy. Not only is she skilled at singing with success, but she has proven to be a talented actress. Whether it’s acting, singing or dancing, there’s nothing in the world that the world-famous musician can’t do. A one-of-a-kind singer with a commanding presence, Gaga has left an indelible legacy behind. Her musical extraordinary talents have been showcased in unforgettable movies.
I’m a huge fan of Lady Gaga and adore the memorable movies she has appeared in throughout her career. However, “A Star is Born” remains her greatest achievement. Released in 2018, Bradley Cooper’s Oscar-winning movie found the musician making a huge splash on the big-screen. A riveting remake of a classic musical, “A Star is Born” is a magnificent masterpiece that works on every level. Boasting breathtaking musical sequences, sharp storytelling and phenomenal performances, the film has stood the test of time as a classic. At the centre of it all is a phenomenal performance from Lady Gaga, who embodies a star whose career is born. Ultimately, the film delivers a meaningful message about mental health with which everyone would engage. It raises awareness about mental health issues facing musicians which are rarely ever discussed in movies. A mesmerizing musical masterpiece, it’s a marvellous tribute to a musician worth celebrating.
Based on the 1937 classic musical, “A Star is Born” tells the story of a musician rising to stardom with consequences that are tragic. Lady Gaga embodies Ally, a talented singer seeking success in the music industry. Ally has always had a talent for singing but never had an opportunity to showcase her gift to the world. However, Ally’s life forever changes when she falls in love with the renowned country music star Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper). Following a successful performance that’s recorded, Ally becomes a sensational superstar that’s celebrated. As her career skyrockets to popularity, Ally’s romance with Jackson faces adversity. Facing mental health issues, Ally questions whether she can become a star making headline news.
Bradley Cooper is a newcomer to stories of musicians. Before making “A Star is Born”, Cooper had never directed a movie before. A renowned actor with charisma, Cooper had never stepped behind the camera. It was the filmmaker’s first attempt to remake a celebrated musical on the big-screen, but he succeeded tremendously. For a first-time filmmaker, Cooper showcased extraordinary control behind the camera. Through captivating cinematography, Cooper captures a shallow singer’s rise to prosperity in the music industry. Visually, the film is a feast for the eyes as breathtaking as melodies that musicians seek to organize. Cooper effectively uses montages capturing the strong bond between two stars seeking success in the music industry. Throughout the movie, Ally and Jackson Maine develop a bond as musicians seeking to achieve dreams they are passionate about. Cooper uses montages to capture this strong bond between two musicians. For instance, montages elevate the touring scene. During this memorable sequence, Ally and Jackson bond by playing music together on tours. Through montages, Cooper creates a romance between two stars that’s easy to relate to. Using stunning visuals, Cooper creates a musical that’s exhilarating.
Another admirable aspect of “A Star is Born” worthy of appreciation is the musical sequences. Cooper successfully stages memorable musical sequences showcasing a star rising to popularity using live singing. In most musical movies, the songs are pre-recorded by actors ahead of time in a studio. However, “A Star is Born” departs from this tradition. Both Cooper and Gaga sang the songs live on set, and their efforts paid off tremendously. For instance, live singing elevates the “Shallow” musical sequence. During this memorable scene, Ally showcases her beautiful talent for singing in a live concert where Jackson Maine is performing. One admires memorable live-singing bringing to life a musical performance that’s engaging. Through live singing, Cooper showcases the talents of a musician whose voice is engaging. Live singing is a complicated technique. However, it works immensely in this movie. Moreover, the musical score is another highlight of “A Star is Born” that I adore. Each song is meaningful and enhances the story to another level. Through extraordinary production-design, Cooper captures musicians experiencing mental decline.
Amidst the breathtaking musical sequences, “A Star is Born” finds time to tell a story that’s compelling. Storytelling is one of the main reasons why the movie is so engaging. The film is beautifully written, and expertly uses foreshadowing to capture the mental health issues that musicians are facing. Cooper’s screenwriting strength is capturing the issues faced by musicians through thoughtful foreshadowing. Throughout the film, Cooper uses subtle clues to hint at doomed romance that’s destined to end in disaster. Whether it’s subtle images or dialogue spoken by characters, Cooper uses ingenious foreshadowing to signal romantic relationship facing disaster. For instance, foreshadowing elevates the opening scene. During this memorable scene, Jackson’s car passes by a billboard with a frightening picture of a noose hanging. This image foreshadows the doomed fate of Jackson and Ally’s short-lived romantic relationship. Through this ingenious foreshadowing, Cooper captures musicians whose mental health is declining. Foreshadowing is tricky. Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” suggested foreshadowing elevates horror movies. As Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” franchise demonstrated, foreshadowing elevates fantasy franchises. Nevertheless, it works. Through a spectacular screenplay, Cooper celebrates musicians today.
One admires amazing performances. The film is a stunning showcase for its two leading stars, who create a believable romantic relationship.
Lady Gaga delivers one of her greatest career performances as Ally. Before making “A Star is Born”, Gaga had never acted in a movie before. It marked her first role in a major Hollywood movie. It isn’t simple to embody a woman seeking to become a famous star in the music industry, but Gaga succeeded. With riveting expressions, she captures the ambition, determination and perseverance of a woman seeking to become a successful star. Not only did Gaga sing melodies beautifully, but she showcased emotional range as an actress. It’s a phenomenal performance that launched the acting career of a successful musician today.
Bradley Cooper is brilliant as an alcoholic musician whose mental health in grave danger causes romantic relationships to face disaster. While Gaga gets the showier role, Cooper is equally excellent as a hard-drinking musician whose life spirals out of control. As Jackson Maine, Cooper uses his commanding voice to capture a musician’s pain. Whether he’s loudly arguing with Ally over her career he feels is declining or silently breaking down in tears over his decisions, Cooper effectively uses his strong voice to create a musician that’s compelling. It’s a powerful performance from one of the finest actors working in Hollywood today.
Finally, everyone would enjoy listening to the melodies of “A Star is Born” capturing mental health adversities. Unlike most movies about musicians, it’s one of those rare films that everyone would be able to relate to. The film discusses universal themes including ambition, mental health and suicide. Viewers aren’t required to be fans of country music to appreciate it. Despite focusing on a country music star’s rise to popularity, it would resonate with everyone. It delivers a powerful message about mental health with which everyone would engage. Therefore, “A Star is Born” is one of those rare musical movies everyone would adore.
Fans of Lady Gaga will definitely appreciate “A Star is Born” and so will movie-goers seeking meaningful entertainment. A mesmerizing musical masterpiece, it celebrates a female musician that has built a legacy that’s lasting.
Nearly 10 years following the release of an iconic film about musicians facing sorrow seeking acknowledgements for creating melodies that are far from shallow, it’s a beautiful tribute to a star that was born several years ago that gained a tremendous fan following by composing memorable melodies about bad romance relationships that created an indelible legacy through abilities to create meaningful music that inspires individuals to follow their dreams even when the possibilities of achieving them are low.
5/5 stars
The Film Buff 