There’re eternal plots which the Hollywood has been exploiting regardless of epoch. For instance, completely archetypical Cinderella story. Cinderella can have different names and even can be a man, but the plot is unchangeable: a person from the bottom, overcoming unbearable obstacles, breaks through towards success.
If such a plot stops at that peak, this is a fairy tale. If the story is told further, this is a realistic drama. Actually, “A Star Is Born” is more about the second variant – the feature-length debut of the famous actor, a four-time nominee for the Oscar award Bradley Cooper (born February 5, 1975, Philadelphia).
In fact, this is the fourth motion picture with this name after the films of 1937, 1954, 1976 years. The plot twist is the same: an unknown girl (as a rule with talent and aspirations) makes acquaintance with a man-star. He leads his protégé to the glory in the cinematography or on the stage and his career declines. Cinderella becomes a star meanwhile a “prince” kills himself with alcohol.
At different times the female part has been played by famous actresses. This time, the role has been honoured to the pop-singer Lady Gaga, known, first of all, for her dancing hits and eccentric costumes, by no means for her cinematographic achievements (although she already has the “Golden Globe” for her role in the series “American horror story” (2016)).
Shot from the film “A Star Is Born”
According to Eric Roth’s script which is far from the original of 1937, Cooper plays country-singer Jackson Maine, whose career’s doomed due to the alcohol abuse and progressing deafness. At the night establishment, he accidentally meets a girl with the heavenly beautiful voice – her name’s Ally (Lady Gaga). She works as a waitress, singing is her hobby. The way to the big stage is closed for her first of all because of the non-standard appearance – a big nose, for example. The irony is in that Lady Gaga achieved everything with this appearance. But in “A Star is Born” an evil step-mother is presented by unnamed managers of the sound recording companies who want to put everyone in the same mixing pot. Maine-Cooper sees an individual in his girlfriend. It’s important that in the film, feminist motives are gravely intensified: Ally is a woman with character, harsh and independent, completely unlike other more or less traditional heroines in the former versions.
Sure, the main discovery here is Lady Gaga. First of all, her vocal talent: it turned out that she has a deep and distinct blues voice. Because of this, the first third of the film – an utter pleasure not only for eyes but also for the ear: luxurious diversity, that fully grabs your attention.
Shot from the film “A Star Is Born”
Secondly, of course, this is the acting talent of Stefani Germanotta (singer’s real name). Her acting diapason seems unlimited. She masters both comic and dramatic intonations; her plasticity, expressive face, gestures, eyes allow to convey the smallest shades of Ally’s character.
Cooper, for his part, works with more reserved colours, but this minimum is enough to persuasively restore broken, neurotic, desperate nature of his character.
Actually, it won’t be an exaggeration to say that this duet holds the whole film. More precisely – not the whole film, but those parts where Lady Gaga and Cooper wage an emotional duel: a star that is rising and a star that is fading away.
The problems appear closer to the end. The film shifts to the melodrama side. Here, it’s felt that Cooper’s experience in directing is much inferior to his acting achievements: straightforward decisions are made, aimed at the instant reaction from the audience, actors cry heavily, brave and independent Ally turns into a weeping lady. It would be pervasive if her line was emotionally relevant (as in films of 1937 or 1954, for example). But such an ending seems out of the logical existing of Gaga’s heroine on the screen.
Shot from the film “A Star Is Born”
Anyway, “A Star is Born” is rescued because it’s a completely author’s film in its essence. Although there’re sentiments in the end and banalities in the director’s work, Cooper’s work and, especially, Gaga’s are worth all awards and it’s already clear that they’ll remain in the history.
Bitter fate – to be a star. Basically, a few films say a truth about it. Bradley Cooper and Stefani Germanotta managed to do it: screen ballad, bitter-sweet like a real blues.
Dmytro Desyateryk, The Day – specially for opinionua.com