Great Music, but not enough to rescue the movie from mediocrity

Rating: 5/10 (24 October 2018)

This is the third remake. I've seen the other two, and they are much better than this one. Lady Gaga (Ally) is a great performer, her rendition of La vie en rose is worth the price of admission. There were other great moments and scenes (I liked the "I just wanted another look at you" moments), but overall the movie doesn't hang together. Should it show character through the work of being in show business (and it is work, hard work, with its constant demand to be up for the audience, to present to them the fantasy they've paid for and insist on seeing). Or should it show the work through the character's viewpoint (and so let us see what kind of character needs to be in the business of displaying a persona in order to feel validated as a person).
Jack (Bradley Cooper) kills himself so that Ally will be free of the effects of his drink and downers. A tragedy? A noble sacrifice? Or a typically sentimental Hollywood gesture? Ally may have some self-esteem issues, but underneath it all she's a steely-souled striver for fame. Jack thrives on stage, but has deep doubts about the value of his music. We get glimpses of what's underneath the surface, but it's not enough.
Cooper (who co-wrote the script) tries his best to show us the pain, he's given to long silent closeups of Jack's face as he tries to understand himself. But he shies away from the dark side. We get glimpses of what drives these people: Is show business the only way they have of facing the central questions of existence? In the end, Ally and Jack end up as cardboard cutouts, pop-psychology figures instead of fully rounded characters. A pity, since the story is about character. Show business is merely the means of displaying the flawed glory of being human.
I found the movie boring in places, pretentiously portentous in others, with a handful of great moments. The music ranges from pretty good to awesome. The acting is generally good, and Lady Gaga is excellent. Sam Elliot is as always a treat to watch. The script overuses the F-bomb, it's become a mere schtick. The photography is very good, never calling attention to itself, generating ambience and character, and carrying the story smoothly from one scene to the next.
Go see the movie, if only to get some idea of what makes a movie popular despite itself.