*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*
Most remakes fail to capture what made the original so successful. Some people see remakes as 'unnecessary'. However, every once in a while, there are remakes that are actually as good as the original and that's where A Star Is Born comes in. The original A Star Is Born was released in 1937 and starred Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. The story surrounded a young woman who goes to Hollywood with dreams of stardom, but achieves them only with the help of an alcoholic leading man whose best days are behind him. It proved to be a huge success and, in 1938, it won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Story and was nominated for another six, including Best Picture, Best Director for William A. Wellman, Best Leading Actor for March and Best Leading Actress for Gaynor. 17 years later, a remake was released with Judy Garland and James Mason in the leading roles. While it didn't win any Academy Awards, the 1954 remake of A Star Is Born received a total of six nominations, including Best Actor for Mason, Best Actress for Garland and Best Original Song for 'The Man That Got Away'. Over two decades later, another remake was released in 1976, starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. While the quality failed to match that of its predecessors, it still received an Academy Award for Best Original Song for 'Evergreen'. Now, over four decades later, Bradley Cooper makes his directorial debut with the latest remake of A Star Is Born. However, is it a successful remake?
This new take on the tragic love story surrounds seasoned musician Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) who discovers — and falls in love with — struggling artist Ally (Lady Gaga). She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer... until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an on-going battle with his own internal demons, including an addiction to alcohol and drugs.
A Star Is Born has been my most anticipated film of 2018 ever since it was announced last year. This is because the premise sounded interesting to me and I liked the idea of Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga working together. It had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 31, and, since then, it has received a mostly positive reception from critics. Because of this and the quality of the trailer, I had high hopes. Fortunately, I wasn't disappointed and I thoroughly enjoyed A Star Is Born. Because I hadn't seen any the original film or the other two remakes, I had no idea what to expect, however, it was a pleasant surprise.
What stood out for me we’re the performances of the two leads. Cooper gives a strong performance as Jackson Maine, a famous singer who struggles with his alcohol and drug addiction. He has a passion for music and Cooper clearly shows that. Unfortunately, his alcohol and drug addictions are taking over his life, ruining his career and relationships. What I found most impressive about Cooper's performance was his body language. When he's intoxicated by alcohol and drugs, his head is constantly looking down and he fails to stand up straight or look anyone in the eye. When he's sober, he's able to have a better posture and look at people in the eye. It's like he's a different person when he's drunk and Cooper captures that.
While Cooper is great, it’s Lady Gaga who impresses as Ally, a shy, insecure young woman whose dreams come true after meeting Maine. The two fall in love and the story showcases the highs and lows of their relationship and Ally’s rise to fame. Cooper and Gaga share chemistry and are convincing as a couple. You can tell that Maine is in love with Ally by the way he looks at her. In the beginning, Ally isn’t sure about Maine but soon realises that she’s in love with him. What I liked most about Ally’s character was how fierce she was and how she was able to stand up and defend herself in certain situations, including a scene near the beginning when a fan of Maine's tries to take a picture, leading to Ally punching him in the face. Since Gaga started her career a decade ago, she’s become known for her extravagant and over the top make up and costumes. However, without all the vibrant make-up, we see the real Gaga and she transforms into Ally. We can see that Gaga relates to Ally and understands how she feels and that’s why she’s perfect for the role. This is definitely Gaga’s best acting performance yet.
Another aspect of A Star Is Born that impresses is the songs that feature. The soundtrack is integral to the plotline and many of the lyrics are about wanting and longing for change, but noting the struggle. Some express the great love and beautiful bond the booze-addled rock star, Jackson Maine, and singer/songwriter, Ally, have for each other. The songs are timeless, emotional, gritty and earnest. They sound like songs written by artists who, quite frankly, are supremely messed up but hit to the core of the listener. The songs also showcase the impressive vocals of its leading stars. While it's no surprise that Gaga's vocals are powerful as she's had a successful career as a singer, she still continues to amaze. Her stand out songs are 'Shallow', 'I Don't Know What Love Is' and 'I'll Never Love Again', with the latter being an emotional and heart wrenching ballad that she sings at the end of the film. I was very impressed by Cooper's vocals and thought that his best song was 'Maybe It's Time'. A Star Is Born succeeds as a musical as it features a lot of memorable songs that are powerfully sung.
The narrative for A Star Is Born is similar to the original, however, several changes have been made to give the film a more modern feel. These were good changes as it't not a direct copy of the original and it can stand on its own. I think that A Star Is Born will appeal more to those who haven't seen any of the original and are fans of Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Those who have seen the original and/or the remakes will find something to enjoy, however, they may find the plot predictable as they know what to expect.
A Star Is Born thoroughly captures what it's like to be famous and gives us an insight into the realities and what goes on behind the scenes. From audiences' point of view, being rich and famous may seem great, however, the story proves that being in the spotlight constantly can be difficult and put pressure on the celebrities. Jackson Maine is a famous singer, however, he uses alcohol and drugs to cope with the pressures. In the beginning, Ally is an ordinary young woman who soon becomes one of the most famous singers. After performing on stage with Maine, her singing career begins to rise and she's soon in the studio, recording her own music and winning an award. Unfortunately, as Ally's singing career becomes more and more successful, Maine continues to struggle with his alcohol and drug addictions and he is soon sent to a rehabilitation facility to try and recover. This is where most of the drama and conflict comes from as Ally struggles to balance her relationship with Maine and her singing career. I liked that A Star Is Born showed the difficulties that come from being famous as too many people think that it's easy just because you have a lot of money and fans.
A Star Is Born proves that remakes can be good and capture the quality of the original whilst being able to stand on their own. Bradley Cooper proves that he's a man of many talents as he gives a strong performance and co-writes and directs. Lady Gaga impresses in her best acting performance and amazes with her strong and powerful vocals. Overall, A Star Is Born is one of my favourite films of this year.
8/10
The narrative for A Star Is Born is similar to the original, however, several changes have been made to give the film a more modern feel. These were good changes as it't not a direct copy of the original and it can stand on its own. I think that A Star Is Born will appeal more to those who haven't seen any of the original and are fans of Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Those who have seen the original and/or the remakes will find something to enjoy, however, they may find the plot predictable as they know what to expect.
A Star Is Born thoroughly captures what it's like to be famous and gives us an insight into the realities and what goes on behind the scenes. From audiences' point of view, being rich and famous may seem great, however, the story proves that being in the spotlight constantly can be difficult and put pressure on the celebrities. Jackson Maine is a famous singer, however, he uses alcohol and drugs to cope with the pressures. In the beginning, Ally is an ordinary young woman who soon becomes one of the most famous singers. After performing on stage with Maine, her singing career begins to rise and she's soon in the studio, recording her own music and winning an award. Unfortunately, as Ally's singing career becomes more and more successful, Maine continues to struggle with his alcohol and drug addictions and he is soon sent to a rehabilitation facility to try and recover. This is where most of the drama and conflict comes from as Ally struggles to balance her relationship with Maine and her singing career. I liked that A Star Is Born showed the difficulties that come from being famous as too many people think that it's easy just because you have a lot of money and fans.
A Star Is Born proves that remakes can be good and capture the quality of the original whilst being able to stand on their own. Bradley Cooper proves that he's a man of many talents as he gives a strong performance and co-writes and directs. Lady Gaga impresses in her best acting performance and amazes with her strong and powerful vocals. Overall, A Star Is Born is one of my favourite films of this year.
8/10
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