Historically, being at the top of the music industry doesnt guarantee an easy transition to movie stardom. Chart icon Beyonce has yet to find her feet in acting, while Madonna has mixed fortunes on the big screen. While her acting career is still in its early stages, Lady Gaga has made some wise choices, winning a Golden Globe for her performances in American Horror Story: Hotel, and following in the footsteps of her idols in a modern remake of A Star Is Born.
This is the fourth version of the film, with the 1937 original being remade starring Judy Garland and then Barbra Streisand.
Gaga takes the lead as Ally, a meek but talented singer discovered by alcoholic music superstar Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper, who also directs). As Allys career flourishes, so does their romance, but industry pressures and Jacksons addiction problems threaten to ruin everything.
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For such an often-visited story, everything about this new interpretation feels fresh. We jump on the tour bus with Ally and share her amazement at the events that unfold, as we follow them to gigs around the world, as well as the set of Saturday Night Live and The Grammys. The appeal of such a glamorous life is made obvious, but so are the pitfalls. Relationships are strained to the limit, and the dark side of the industry, personified in Rafi Gavrons smarmy executive, threaten to rob Ally of everything that made her unique. Its heart-wrenching stuff, as you find yourself at the edge of your seat willing on both the stars relationships and her own quest for authenticity.
Cooper has worked with some of the greatest directors in the world, and seems to have used that knowledge to find his own voice behind the camera. Conversations unfold naturally, with awkward overlapping sentences and words left unsaid (one painful exchange between Jackson and his brother, played by Sam Elliot, is devastating in its subtlety). The on-stage scenes are also captivating, with the spotlight being portrayed as both glistening and suffocating depending on our heroes mental state.
In front of the camera, Cooper is magnificent as a man being slowly dragged down by his demons.
Sporting bleary eyes and a Jeff Bridges-style drawl, he carries the mystique of a superstar and the vulnerability that makes his and Gagas relationship believable. As for Gaga herself, its a stunningly sophisticated performance for such an early role. Stripped of the aesthetics of her musical self, she makes Ally an occasionally awkward dreamer with talent that outweighs her self-confidence. While she is surrounded by solid support (particularly Andrew Dice Clay as her Sinatra-loving father), she holds her own through the films emotional final act.
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Filled with great music, a captivating romance and fine performances, A Star Is Born is not just the announcement of Lady Gagas successful transition to film, its an enthralling meditation on how the entertainment industry makes casualties of so many of its stars.
While its incredibly early for Oscar talk, the film has triumphantly placed itself among the contenders.
MORE: Lady Gaga is perfectly extra in Shakespearean gown at A Star Is Born premiere in London
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