Movie Magic with Star Power – A Star is Born

Let’s get right to the point. Star is Born my favorite movie of the year. I’m not sure that is going to change, either. Something extraordinary is going on in this movie. If you love movies, you need to see this.

Despite a familiar storyline, director/actor Bradley Cooper and singer/diva Lady Gaga pump a lot of freshness into what will undoubtedly be a major Oscar contender for all the big awards (Movie, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, Actor, Actress, and Supporting Actor).

This is because Cooper, the actor, has an astonishing range (think The Hangover to American Sniper) and can hold his own as a singer/performer next to Lady Gaga. And conversely, Lady Gaga, arguably the biggest pop star of the last decade, can hold her own as an actor next to thrice Oscar-nominee Cooper. Who thought that was possible? Not me. I bet you didn’t, either.

Thanks to this switcheroo, the movie’s spell cast begin with the first scene when Cooper starts singing and sounds surprised, like a singer. I mean, OMG, not only is Cooper good-looking and charming in a non-egotistical everyman way, but he can sing!

Then Gaga comes on, and here she is, the diva, warts and all, a hundred feet across on the big screen, and she’s simply riveting. She can act like Jesus plays basketball (very well).

What comes out from the screen is something we don’t often see anymore, genuine star power. A Star is Born a clinic on how to use star power without drawing attention to itself.

The chemistry is undeniable. The songs are strong. The duets are plausible and done with emotion.

The supporting actors (Sam Elliot, Andrew Clay, and Dave Chappelle) are both great and not distracting from the leads or the story. And the story? Worn as an old pair of shoes and is just as comfy. Told here told for the fourth time with great fondness and respect.

With this music, these actors, and this cinematography (Matthew Labatique) is a delicious and somehow surprisingly artsy combination. Maybe Cooper, the director, resisted the enormous temptations to go over the top, which he could do many times. Instead, he shows restraint. No camp or kitsch. This retelling of the coming out of undiscovered talent quickly could have become a clichéd, exploitive mess – but it’s not.

These actors are natural and reasonable, and the movie and storyline rise above themselves and become something more. Do I dare say transcendent? Yes, I do.

Cooper, we’ve seen it before, so not a surprise here. He was great in Alias twenty years ago and has improved in everything.

Gaga is the revelation. I can’t remember being that simultaneously knocked out and smitten by a performer in many years. Purple Rain?

The best recent analogy I can draw is when I first heard the Hamilton soundtrack. Listening to it was like seeing an undeniable genius at work. Gaga, in this film, is like that. Always fascinating to look at, unashamed as a singer, and never afraid to let it all hang out even when unflattering. A fearless performance.

Do you hate musicals? Do you dislike dark movies with sad endings?

Too bad. If that’s the case, you’ll miss what is most likely this year’s best picture.

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