A STAR IS BORN Review — A Classic is Born Again and Better Than Ever
A Star is Born Review: Possibly the only remake I’ll ever rave about.
In preparation for the release of what looks to be one of the biggest films of the year, I re-watched the 1954 version of A Star is Born with Judy Garland and James Mason, and the 1976 version with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. (Sorry I couldn’t get to 1937’s, with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March.)
The verdict?
Judy’s doesn’t hold up, Streisand’s does, and Lady Gaga’s blows them all away.
Her presence, her performance, her voice, her songwriting—they’re all as good as it gets. While she’s no stranger to the screen, this is indeed her first lead performance, and it is nothing short of spectacular.
Which is not to detract from writer/director/lead Bradley Cooper’s work. In his first outing as a director he got almost everything right. And not just behind the camera—his singing, songwriting and performing are superlative as well.
It’s easy for a couple of leads with such brilliant star wattage to overshadow the rest of the cast, but strong performances, especially from Sam Elliot, Andrew Dice Clay and Dave Chappelle, prove that there’s plenty of room in this script for everyone to shine. I think Elliot will be especially prominent during awards season, in addition to Gaga and Cooper.
We all know the plot: A disengaged superstar meets an entrancing girl with a whole lotta potential, and he helps her reach the top while he plunges toward the bottom. Drama and tragedy ensue. There are some nice, new unique twists here, however, that make it feel fresh and more relevant than ever today.
I’m usually the first to ask, “Do we really need another reboot?” But in the case of this spectacular cinematic event, the answer is a passionate “Yes! Yes! Oh YES!”
Rated R
2 Hours 15 Minutes
If, after reading this A Star is Born Review you’re as gaga over it as I am, find times and tickets at Fandango.com.
A Star is Born Review: Possibly the only remake I’ll ever rave about.
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