The worst: I don't know what to put here. Maybe that the script writers didn't realize Lady Gaga's nose is smaller than Barbara Streisand's?
Comments: It has taken me over a month to write this review, not because I did not know what to say but because it took me this long to sort out how I felt walking out of this movie.
The story isn't new- in fact this is the fourth version of this tale. Each is told differently - the first two in Hollywood and the latter in music, some focus on the career while others on the relationships, and the quality and chemistry of the actors varies greatly between versions. But although I had seen this tragic tale twice before, I was not prepared for the emotional impact that awaited me.
Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper, who also directed) is a big star on the back nine of his career. And he has problems. Drinking, drugs, relationship, daddy- you name it, he has it. While looking for a drink, he runs into Ally (Lady Gaga) in one of the genuinely strange scenes in the movie. Strangeness aside, there is an instant attraction that takes off and gives us a movie.
Let me say upfront: this movie is not perfect. But it would take a far more critical mind than mine to find specifics that need to be changed. This movie was amazing. Bradley Cooper blew me away both with his directing and his acting. The chemistry between him and Lady Gaga was electric. There is a scene that you catch glimpses of during the previews when Ally first sings on stage with Jackson that is easily my favorite single scene of 2018. The music was incredible and memorable. Lady Gaga shocked me with her acting and Bradley Cooper shocked me with his voice. It was just that kind of movie.
But it's not a happy movie. The characters are deeply flawed, and those flaws are laid bare over and over again. Cooper's Jackson Maine in particular is hard to watch at times. But in those flaws are where the soul of the movie lies. The joy is offset by pain, the happiness find sorrow, and the love fights reality. You will be elevated with the highs and you will be brought down with the lows. By the end of the movie the emotions are overwhelming, and I saw the majority of my full theater with tears on their faces as the lights slowly turned on. For every tear there was somebody humming the music or talking high praise for the movie.
I loved this movie.
Rating: 10/10 - Best drama I've seen in years.
The story isn't new- in fact this is the fourth version of this tale. Each is told differently - the first two in Hollywood and the latter in music, some focus on the career while others on the relationships, and the quality and chemistry of the actors varies greatly between versions. But although I had seen this tragic tale twice before, I was not prepared for the emotional impact that awaited me.
Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper, who also directed) is a big star on the back nine of his career. And he has problems. Drinking, drugs, relationship, daddy- you name it, he has it. While looking for a drink, he runs into Ally (Lady Gaga) in one of the genuinely strange scenes in the movie. Strangeness aside, there is an instant attraction that takes off and gives us a movie.
Let me say upfront: this movie is not perfect. But it would take a far more critical mind than mine to find specifics that need to be changed. This movie was amazing. Bradley Cooper blew me away both with his directing and his acting. The chemistry between him and Lady Gaga was electric. There is a scene that you catch glimpses of during the previews when Ally first sings on stage with Jackson that is easily my favorite single scene of 2018. The music was incredible and memorable. Lady Gaga shocked me with her acting and Bradley Cooper shocked me with his voice. It was just that kind of movie.
But it's not a happy movie. The characters are deeply flawed, and those flaws are laid bare over and over again. Cooper's Jackson Maine in particular is hard to watch at times. But in those flaws are where the soul of the movie lies. The joy is offset by pain, the happiness find sorrow, and the love fights reality. You will be elevated with the highs and you will be brought down with the lows. By the end of the movie the emotions are overwhelming, and I saw the majority of my full theater with tears on their faces as the lights slowly turned on. For every tear there was somebody humming the music or talking high praise for the movie.
I loved this movie.
Rating: 10/10 - Best drama I've seen in years.
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