Worthy But Not Great

Rating: 7/10 (10 March 2019)

I didn't expect to like this movie as much as I did, because a friend told me it was depressing. I wouldn't say depressing, more bittersweet and sad. I was crying at the end but that's not a bad thing. What's the point of drama if you don't feel something watching it?
I loved the first hour of the film, when Jackson and Ally meet and basically fall in love within 36 hours that ends with an amazing, impromptu on-stage performance. "Shallow" is a great song and the whole sequence works almost perfectly. They have wonderful chemistry and I bought that she fell in love with him despite knowing he's a drunk. It doesn't hurt that Bradley Cooper is ridiculously handsome, even if he looks worse for the wear in this film. And even though she isn't a classic beauty and I understand why her character is self-conscious about her nose, Gaga is very attractive here. She has beautiful eyes and seems lit from within, especially as she comes out of her shell.
The acting is solid, certainly good enough to carry the story, if not Oscar-worthy. It would never work without the stars' chemistry, which they have in spades. I loved the supporting performances, particularly by Andrew Dice Clay as Ally's doting father. Dave Chapelle and Sam Elliot are very good too. The whirlwind proposal and wedding could have been cringeworthy but they work beautifully here, at least for me.
Now, I wasn't crazy about the second half, and not just because it is sad. I felt ambivalent about Ally's rise to fame, which I think I was supposed to support? The two men sort of fighting to control Ally and her image/career works ok but I would have liked to feel that the Pop style she embraces as a solo artist really represents her. I guess it's because I just liked the songs from the first half so much and the one she performs on SNL just isn't my cup of tea. Granted, at the end she forges her own musical identity with the ballad she dedicates to Jack, so I suppose that was meant to be seen as part of her journey to stardom. As for the final song, while her performance is amazing, I still don't like it as much as "Shallow" or "Always Remember Us This Way." The film peaks with those two performances.
As for the producer (I forget his name), again, I am not sure how to feel about him. When he confronts Jack toward the end about how he nearly derailed her career by stumbling drunk onto the stage during her Grammy speech, I think he's crossing a line. He's right, of course. But is he just protecting his investment or does he do it because he respects and cares about Ally as a person and hates what Jack did to her? I felt it was a mix of both, so I understood, but I still thought it was out of bounds. When Bobby tells Ally that Jack's suicide is his fault and his alone, I believe it, but a part of me still thinks the producer should never have tread into the territory of Ally's personal life and decision to stick by the screwed-up alcoholic husband she loves.
I like that Jack is definitely a flawed character. He goes from being basically a functioning alcoholic to a Mean Drunk to a true train wreck. It is impossible to forgive what he says to Ally during a morning bender, jealous of her success. So yes, you feel she is better off without him in some ways, and he is certainly holding her back. But there is no question she loves him and he loves her, and you root for his success when he sobers up and re-dedicates himself to her and their marriage. But that's what makes the situation so sad. Yes, they love each other, yes she is understandably devastated by his death, but yes, he is also an alcoholic and you know that there is a pretty good chance he would fall off the wagon again and things would get ugly and toxic. His suicide is cowardly, but it is believable. And I'm sorry, as corny as it was, I teared up at the dog waiting outside the garage for Daddy. Apparently that is Bradley Cooper's actual dog, and it is sweet seeing them play with each other and sad knowing the dog has lost his beloved owner.
Anyway, I cried at the end and I watched the "Shallow" video about five times. It is an emotional roller coaster with some weak spots but an affecting love story and mostly great music all carried by strong performances. Gaga's Ally is maybe TOO sympathetic. I would have liked it if she had been a little more flawed, but seeing as this is her first acting gig, she is pretty impressive.
It's worth seeing and it should appeal to a broad audience. I get why it was so successful, but I also get why it only won the Oscar for best song. That song and scene really is the best thing about the movie in many ways, at least for me.