Be prepared for one hell of a tearjerker!

Rating: 8/10 (14 February 2020)

From the opening minutes, we are fully engaged with the characters and the music is just so good! Recommended particularly at the cinema to feel the bass rumble and have the sublime vocals rush through you. You may have heard this already by now as there is a lot of buzz; Lady Gaga is outstanding as Ally, a smart, funny and charismatic woman, waitress by day and amazing singer by night. It's not until she meets Jack played by Bradley Cooper that she is told her voice is too beautiful to be ignored and has a real chance at the big time. The way I've described it makes it sound incredibly corny but it's not that at all in the context of the film which is very much a compliment to the filmmaking and in particular the stunning central performances by the two great leads. Gaga is quite breathtaking in certain scenes leaving a tear in my eye in one scene in particular and is just a very natural and talented actor. Cooper is brilliant here too, also directing the film which has been a passion project of his for quite some time now. Sam Elliot also appears as Bobby, Jack's older brother, and he is once again a warmly familiar and great screen presence. It is ultimately a film you should be prepared for before going to see as it is a tearjerker but it is also filled with many beautiful moments exploring Ally and Jack's relationship and captures the blossoming of their romance quite perfectly. The soundtrack is awesome too to say the least; such an important part of the narrative and they do such a good job of excentuating that and spending just as much time and effort into the quality songwriting and performance as well as the drama of the story