Apparently serious, actually glib approach to serious subject. Lady Gaga steals show

Rating: 6/10 (25 October 2018)

Bradley Cooper took on the tough task of directing, singing and acting in, the latest version of A STAR IS BORN. To be honest, I have never found this story particularly interesting, and in fact I suspect that the 1954 version with James Mason and Judy Garland borrowed quite a bit from Charlie Chaplin's LIMELIGHT (US 1952), and the 1976 version, with Streisand and Kristoferson was a mishmash that relied solely on starpower and deservedly bombed with critics and box office alike.
And now, this third version which I do not find any better than its predecessors. Lady Gaga singlehandedly keeps the film interesting. Her unusual beauty and wonderful voice kept me wanting to see her, eagerly waiting for her to come back on screen.
Sadly, the character who plays her father comes across as very uneven, unintentionally funny, and it is hard to decide whether he is just greedy, or a liar, or both... and at one point he seems willing to beat the stools out of Maine but, before you know it, he is conveniently doing something else.
Bradley Cooper took on too much: he should have directed only. Although be begins well enough. he is far too long on screen, giving the impression that he cannot have enough of himself.
Ally's manager is also played by a completely unremarkable actor.
To make matters worse, Jackson Maine, the character he depicts, is a drug addict and an alcoholic who feels continually and annoyingly sorry for himself. In the end, his decision to cop out of life makes him a real loser.
I do not know if Cooper sings his songs in the movie. If so, perhaps he should have sung only, because his voice is quite pleasant.
Photography is generally very good, the second saving grace after Lady Gaga, and dialogue is rather patchy.
Even after he has died in script, Cooper does not go away. At the slightest opportunity, everybody remembers and cries over him. It must have been tough for Cooper to get rid of himself - which is a pity because this film could have done with about 20 minutes less (overall) and 30 minutes removed from Cooper's performance would have hurt none at all.