A Star Is Born: Compelling and Insightful

Rating: 7/10 (7 October 2018)

I'm not going to lie; I came in to this with a bad attitude not knowing really what to expect. Is it going to be a "chick flick", a Bradley Cooper drool session for the 18-35 female demographic, or just a garden variety love story mixed in with musical elements?
It was neither of the above; this movie both defied and exceeded expectations.
The strongest element by far was the plot. Being Bradley Cooper's directing debut, he did a very good job of sticking to the basic elements: the introduction, the rising action, the falling action, the rock bottom, and the conclusion all in three acts. The story was capable of standing on it's own and immersing an entire audience with an incredibly real and compelling timeline of trials and tribulations. Each transition from one part to the next was made with the masterful effect of building anticipation, leaving us wondering what was in store for us next. It did the job of carrying the audience through a 2 hour, 10 minute roller coaster.
The acting on it's own was top notch as it featured a few heavy-hitters such as Cooper, himself and a strong supporting cast featuring Sam Elliot and Dave Chappelle. Though the choice in casting Lady Gaga begs a question: was this role made for her or was the script written for a generic female lead for which she just so happened to fit the bill? Either way, Lady Gaga's breakthrough acting performance hit the mark; it wasn't bad, but there didn't really seem to be that much room to see if she had gumption for acting.
By and far, the weakest element was the character development. I get it, there was a lot of story that had to be told and only so much film in which to do it. However, I feel that a little more investment in character development would have allowed the audience to feel much more of an emotional impact for our two leads as they just so happen to find each other and later face adversity as a duo.
Overall, I say that this film is above average. Many moviegoers will come with the expectation of an incredibly strong soundtrack and name recognition. Where Lady Gaga's acting hit par, she made up with her voice. However, they will not only stay, but glue themselves to their seats for the storytelling. I don't see this film being at a competitive, "award-winning" level, but it is one of a handful must-see movies of 2018.