A Star Is Born (****)

There's the famous story how Judy Garland was due to give birth to her son on the night of the Academy Awards. Cameras were on standby as it was believed she was the frontrunner by a mile for her rendition of "A Star Is Born." Of course, Grace Kelly beat her out, and the camera crew surreptitiously snuck out to leave Garland in the dirt. There have now been 4 incarnations of the "Star is Born" story, and though Judy's version might be the most acclaimed, here comes an unexpected duo to give her a run for her money.

I remember when this project was first announced, Clint Eastwood would be the director and Beyonce would be the star. How much it has changed, but I can't imagine any cast reaching the success of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper (who writes and directs as well). The story is essentially the same dating all the way back to the 1937 original with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. Our hero, Ally (Gaga) is a poor nobody with barely a dream of becoming a star. By chance, she has a run in with Jackson Maine (Cooper), a country/rock star who fans constantly stop in the streets. Their first encounter is detailed in the first 30 minutes of the film, one long night of talking, drinking, singing, and driving around the quiet LA streets. Jack is a charming drunk, Ally sees him as a man, not a celebrity. The two hit it off.

The movie's most successful sequence comes when Jack calls Ally to fly out to one of his concerts, and despite hesitation, she makes the journey to watch him from the side stage. He calls her to stage to perform an arrangement of a song that she concocted when they first met, and voila, she is instantly a star. It's Gaga's best moment as an actress - her fear of the stage, but her firm belief that all she needs is a break to make it big. As she sings the lyrics, she covers her face, she shies away from Cooper and his charm on the guitar. You forget that this is a woman who has sold out arenas for years. As she's singing this song ("The Shallows," one of many great songs in the movie), you can't help but see this character living and breathing.

If you've even heard a bit about the story, then you know the whole movie. The two fall in love, get married. Jack continues drinking himself to destruction. Of course Ally gets a record deal, and her music is overly-produced and shallow. She sings about how good a guy looks in his jeans, and dances on stage with choreographed backup performers in shiny tight outfits. It's somewhat of a meta-commentary for Gaga herself, though I would argue that her music up to now has been a bit more thoughtful and personal. It reminded me of many recent movies, mostly "La La Land" in the way we see a musician sell out in order to get ahead. At times it's a bit heavy-handed, and rolls easily into the classic melodrama that all the original incarnations embraced. Does the idea of artists selling out still work today? Maybe, but it's definitely not as potent the 4th time around.

As much as the acclaim is going to Lady Gaga for her breakout performance (her first leading role, and it reminds me of when Cher broke away from poop songs to star in "Silkwood" and "Moonstruck," for which she won an Oscar), I really think the star is Bradley Cooper. He's made the transition from comedy to drama, and with 3 Oscar nominations for acting (soon to be 4), it's hard not to see how greatly talented he is. I don't even mean his singing voice, which is very good, but the subtle way he transforms into this southern man on the verge of destruction. He adopts an accent that is meant to mimic his on-screen brother (played by Sam Elliott, who is very good in his few scenes), and he travels from extreme highs to the lowest of lows, oftentimes in the same scene. Could the Oscar go to anyone more deserving?

It's a well-made film that isn't for everyone but I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy. For a first-time director, you can feel Cooper giving it his all. There are certainly pitfalls in the story (the relationship between Bradley Cooper and Sam Elliott certainly feels washed over, barely there) and the long sequences without music made me wish we could cut back to Lady Gaga at the piano that much sooner. For what it is, this is still a showstopper that hits the ground running. The first 45 minutes up until we hear that first duet is magic. I only wish the rest of the film could have kept up the pace. Will Gaga become the critical darling and compete for an Oscar? I don't know. The track record for "A Star Is Born" winning Oscars isn't great, but this feels like one that could change all the rules.