Friday, October 5, 2018

A STAR IS BORN Sings onto the Screen




Jeri Jacquin

In theatres this Friday from director Bradley Cooper and Warner Bros. is two people filled with the need for music when A STAR IS BORN.

Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) is a musician-singer who can fill a concert arena singing his songs. On stage or off he also has a problem with staying away from alcohol. Even with Bobby (Sam Elliott) keeping an eye on him and cleaning up the messes, Jack is one hot mess.

After a concert, Jack doesn’t have his liquid courage in the car and asks his driver to pull over to the local bar. Recognizing him at the door is Ramon (Anthony Ramos) who insists on bringing him to the bar and buying Jack a drink. That’s when he realizes that he is in a drag bar and watches the show.

Ramon insists that Jack prepare himself to see his friend Ally (Lady Gaga) perform and almost immediately he is taken in. Going backstage to meet her, they go out for a drink after to discuss her want of music. Seeing she is a straight shooter makes Jack go even weaker in the knees and he wants her to come to a concert the next night.


After kissing their jobs goodbye, Ally and Ramon make it to the concert and Jack decides to get her onstage for a song. The next day on YouTube, dad Lorenzo (Andrew Dice Clay) can not believe what he is seeing. Excited beyond belief Ally begins a relationship with Jack that puts them on the stage together over and over again.

Ally is noticed by manager Rez (Rafi Gavron) who wants to blow her up everywhere. Believing in her talent is one thing and changing her is another and although she sees what is happening, Ally also knows she has to go to get. Jack begins to feel as if he is losing her in some way and responds accordingly. 

His path of self destruction begins to have an effect on their relationship. In one instant Ally sees how destructive Jack’s life has become because of the past, his ability to have relationships and where they are both going musically. Yet she will not give up or give in when it comes to the man who brought her love and music.

Love has amazing powers as long as you believe.


Cooper as Jack is pretty much front and center of the film and although that may be fine, the character is not new. The only thing ‘different’ in this story is a brother and an alcoholic father but it is muddled which just drove me crazy. There was nothing unexpected here which again supports my theory that remakes need to have a 75 year stamp on them. What might surprise viewers is that he sings the heartfelt songs with ease and together with Gaga they are sweet performances. 

Lady Gaga as Ally is sweet in this role but again, there is nothing new for me to see here. Vocally she is outstanding but then again would anyone expect anything less? The songs are lovely and touching. I think what drove me nuts is that she goes from being Ally in the beginning to actually becoming ‘Lady Gaga’ by the middle to end. That means I don’t see Ally anymore and there goes the film!

Elliott as Bobby has a few scenes and makes the most of them. The problem is that the scenes seem so disjointed and I suppose that could be because their storyline has such an age gap. I love Sam Elliott so I’m happy to see him in anything but if you are going to use this iconic actor in a role, do it well and do it memorably.

Clay as Dad Lorenzo is a proud papa and I’ll admit I didn’t know for at least five minutes that it was him. There are appearances by Dave Chappelle and Eddie Griffin but I’m not sure how that storyline fit into it all, again disjointed. It was good to see both of them so there’s that.

Other cast include Bonnie Somerville as Sally Cummings, Michael Harney as Wolfe, Willam Belli as Emerald, Rebecca Field as Gail, Eddie Griffin as Pastor and Dave Chappelle as Noodles.


Okay, here’s the rough part. I am an avid and devoted fan to the 1937 Janet Gaynor/Frederick March A STAR IS BORN. There is something amazing about that era so that the ’37 version is stunning, emotional and heartbreaking for me. The first time I saw it I knew I had to see it again and again (which I have). Gaynor and March cemented my love of black and white films.

In 1954, Judy Garland and James Mason brought their colorful film to the screen and man, oh man, did the voice of Judy Garland dig deeper into my heart. There is no one like her and there will never be again so to watch her in this version of A STAR IS BORN reminds me of how wonderful both of these actors were. I saw both of these films on television as a kid.

In 1976, Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson brought A STAR IS BORN to the big screen and I can not stress enough how blow away I was at 16 years old. The presence of Streisand and Kristofferson could have been enough but when they both sang their respective songs I absolutely couldn’t breathe. When they sang together I had a tear and a smile on my face. Yes, I remember every emotion the first time I saw the film because I spent several weekends after at the matinee to experience it all again and again. That is what this version of the film did for me and it is a memory as clear as if it were yesterday.


So, here we are in 2018 and although the music is amazing and the two performers put it down emotionally, there is nothing in the story that is going to keep me going back again. I don’t want that to sound as if I’m saying the film isn’t good, it’s alright to my way of thinking but because I hold the other films so dear – there just isn’t room for another version. It just didn’t need to be re-told, re-imagined, re-thunk or any other re…the studio should have just released the original in theatres like they are doing with SUPERMAN.

I know, I know, I’m going to get chided for my opinion but we all know it’s the truth. Understand there is so many original scripts out there waiting to be discovered and made into films that I just do not understand why Cooper thought this was in any way necessary. Why Hollywood, why?

Okay, I’m done. I know there are many people who are excited about the film so go and be excited. Cooper and Gaga can sing so enjoy that and pick up the soundtrack which I think has the potential to be so successful (just please don’t do a sequel Gaga!)

In the end – the music brought them love!



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