A Star Is Born is the archetypal Hollywood love story – an entertainer in the twilight of his career falls for and helps a struggling singer start hers. In this very modern fourth iteration, Bradley Cooper is Jackson Maine, a booze guzzling, pill popping, tinnitus-suffering singer-songwriter in the midst of a rapid, downward spiral when he discovers the raw talent of Ally (Lady Gaga), a singer-songwriter performing at a drag bar. (Shangela and Willam are simply awesome.) The multi-layered screenplay (co-written by Cooper) pays homage to its predecessors while being original, realistic and current – capturing the pitfalls, insecurities and loneliness of stardom, punctuated by astonishingly raw, intimate performances by both Cooper, in his directorial debut, and Gaga, who dazzles in this role of a lifetime. The supporting cast is also excellent – Sam Elliott as Jackson’s older brother/manager, Dave Chappelle as Jackson’s childhood friend, and Andrew Dice Clay as Ally’s limo driver father. The duo’s songs are heartfelt and haunting, culminating in a heartbreaking lump in your throat finale that is what moviegoing is all about. It is so exceptional you may find yourself watching it more than once.
This review originally appeared on TheReelness.com.
