Bradley Cooper can sing! I mean he can really sing!

Rating: 10/10 (13 February 2019)

A Star Is Born
I first heard about this movie whilst sat around a pool in Tenerife back in October 2018.
When I say heard that's because I was listening to the excellent soundtrack that accompanies the film.
Being somewhat of a Blues, Rock and Country music fan I was immediately drawn to Bradley Cooper's musical efforts.
The opening track of the movie and soundtrack is a barnstorming rocker entitled 'Black eyes'.
This song fully showcases Cooper's excellent voice.
It's a gusty performance that continues as the album progresses.
I actually believe in some instances Cooper's vocal performance outshined that of seasoned professional Lady Gaga.
A particular track called 'Digging my grave' is evidence of this.
Gaga really gets into her own stride when belting out some of the soundtracks touching ballads. Her voice doesn't really lend to guitar based rock but she really does sells the pop and the heartfelt songs with the all megastar quality she can muster.
The actual movie is equally as good, elevated by the music but it is ultimately the two central performances by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper that make this a special film.
I have praised Cooper for stepping out of his comfort zone and becoming a credible musician.
I have to commend Lady Gaga for doing the same.
Her acting performance in this film is Oscar worthy.
She really is truly wonderful in this film.
Gaga sells every scene and her onscreen chemistry with Cooper is completely believable.
Cooper on the other hand is totally convincing as grizzled Rockstar Jackson Maine.
A man who's star is beginning to fade as he deals with alcoholism and a deteriorating sense of hearing.
This isn't a film that you will watch and be uplifted by. It's often a sad depressing film about a mans fall from grace.
At the same time it's a 'Rocky' type tale of a woman's rise to stardom against impossible odds.
There's good support from Hollywood legend Sam Elliot. He has a Oscar nomination for this movie but in all honesty his screen time is so small I begin to wonder why such an accolade has been granted.
Don't get me wrong I love Sam Elliot's work here and regard him as one of my favourite actors.
I just thought his appearance here was rather minimal.
From a technical perspective I am considering purchasing this movie on 4K Blu-ray.
I rented this film. Streamed in UHD HDR I was a little underwhelmed by the picture quality.
HDR seemed washed out with a lacklustre amount of detail and depth.
More fool me for streaming the movie!
After watching several reviews on the 4K Blu-ray, it seems that the transfer onto disc is way better as you'd expect.
A 4K Blu-ray purchase is probably worth it just for the Dolby Atmos sound.
When streaming this film the sound was Dolby Digital Plus.
The music sounded fantastic even in this more basic surround sound format.
Bass was really punchy and boarded on thunderous during the concert scenes.
Up mixing the sound to DTS Neural X via my Home Cinema amp gave the height speakers a good workout. Cheering from the crowd could be clearly heard from above. Drum rolls swept around the living room with much more clarity.
This is a great sounding movie. It can only be elevated by a true uncompressed Dolby Atmos track.
A Star Is Born is a must see.
Even if this isn't the genre of your usual liking I urge you to watch this film.
It is beautifully shot by an accomplished director.
Cooper as the Director further showcasing his talents.
It's a film with touching heartfelt performances from a script that is truly engaging.
I hope it wins all the award nominations that are bestowed upon it.