Although A Star is Born (2018) did not win best picture, this article may convince you it should have and won more Oscars. This film is the third incarnation or fourth total of the same story, and it is the best one. It's kind of like James Bond, it can be redone several years down the line when music has changed. If you haven't seen the movie, be warned. Spoilers will follow. I can't do this review justice without discussing some major plot points.
In this story, we find Jackson Maine who is an extremely successful musician on the tail end of his career. He meets aspiring performer Ally and they hit off musically and relationship-wise. Drugs, alcohol and more can plague someone's life, and we see it all.
Let's talk about acting. Lady Gaga is stellar as Ally. I never thought I would say that about her as an actress. We already know she can sing with the best of them. There was a good trade-off that happened during filming. Bradley Cooper gave her acting lessons, and she gave him singing lessons.
Lady Gaga's performance has all the emotion you can ask for. She is funny, sad, angry and everything else in between to give an award-worthy performance. Oscar-nominated for best actress is pretty crazy for someone that young in their acting career. She did win best original song along with Bradley Cooper though. Somehow that was the movie's only win.
Bradley Cooper (also Oscar-nominated) as Jackson Maine is excellent too. He also directed the film to perfection. For acting, he depicted the consequences of drugs and alcohol along with the painful outcomes of depression. Almost every movie about musicians deal with this issue, but A Star is Born manages to make it interesting. A wise man once said, "You don't need to reinvent the wheel to make it interesting." When it's the fourth version of the same story, this quote is very true, and I think Cooper did the movie justice.
Some moments when Maine is on drugs including the Grammy's scene, he does every little intricate tick with perfection. It's not great to see someone in that state, so not even the most immature watcher should think it is a funny moment. Also, I want to say that Bradley Cooper has an excellent voice. I honestly think he could make it as a musician doing the king of music that Jackson Maine performs.
Another great performance comes from Sam Elliot as Maine's brother Bobby. He is also Oscar-nominated. How is this his first nomination? He's been a great actor for so long.
The music is awesome in this film. "Shallow" is the song that won sung and written by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. It was interesting to see Ally's writing process in the movie. That can be a lost art today for many performers. Other songs including "I'll Never Love Again" and "Black Eyes" among others are great.
*SPOILER ALERT* There is a lot I can say about this movie. There is one scene I still need to mention. That is Maine's suicide. He was pushed some by Ally's manager, but it was his decision in the end. That is what Sam Elliot's character tells Lady Gaga. "It's no one else's fault but Jacks." This is a direct disagreement with shows like 13 Reasons Why on Netflix. That's a whole other topic that I won't discuss right now. The moment when he laid his hat down got to me. At that moment, I knew for sure what he was going to do.
Overall, this is my best picture of the 2019 award shows. While it was not my favorite movie of year, it edges those nominated. Cooper was snubbed from a directing nomination considering he made list on countless other ceremonies. It could have easily won five more Oscars, and it probably should have. Green Book is a quality cinema piece, but I am not sure it is truly better than A Star is Born.
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