solid remake

Rating: 7/10 (27 November 2018)

Famous singing star Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) is tired, alcoholic, and slowly losing his hearing. His older brother and manager Bobby Maine (Sam Elliott) is trying to keep him together. After a concert, he stops at a random bar to drink. It's a drag bar and he is taken with performer Ally (Lady Gaga). She's an amateur singer who is afraid to sing her own material. He pulls her out of anonymity onto center stage.
At first, I was slightly annoyed with Bradley's mumbling. I figured it's his poor attempt at drunk acting. It's not until it's revealed that Sam Elliott is playing his older brother that I realized that Bradley is imitating Sam. On the other hand, Lady Gaga is perfectly cast right from the start. She has the vulnerability and quite frankly, her average looks fit the character. The biggest scene is her first time on stage. The tension remains mostly flat for the rest of the movie. Bardley's directing is functional. There is a straight forward style to the proceeding or it may be the familiarity of this often told tale. Other than a few moments, this movie doesn't shock or surprise but it is very solid.