A+ for acting... the premise, not so much.

Rating: 7/10 (17 November 2018)

I want to start by saying that Bradley Cooper was amazing as usual. He played the character to a T. Lady Gaga was better than I ever could have imagined. I was a huge fan of her prior to this movie, and left the theater an even bigger one. The music was great, and I definitely recommend buying the soundtrack.
That being said, I didn't get into the love story like many (almost all) others did. Bradley's character was a mess from the beginning. He wasn't just a casual drunk when he met Lady Gaga's character. He was a literal fall down drunk. I love love. Romantic comedies, or romances in general, are some of my favorite movies to watch. I even like to watch people go through personal struggles in relationships which ultimately lead to the strengthening of the lead couple's bond.
However, as much as Jackson loved and adored Ally (he truly did), I couldn't help but think that I would never wish this relationship on anyone. We were given several scenes of how passionate their affair was - we can all hope for a romance as passionate as theirs - but the passion didn't justify the constant struggle Ally had to go through from the second they met until the very end. I hate thinking that people may feel that having a tortured love affair is what's needed to have passion with someone. You can have passion and stability.
It was also much longer than needed. There were two or three too many scenes of Jackson drunk than were needed.
I know I must sound crazy, but the above is my honest opinion of the premise of the movie. I still gave it a 7, though. And for people who can look past the issues that bothered me, you're going to love this. It is an A-list movie and one that I feel should garner some awards for both Gaga and Cooper. See it on the big screen. It made Cooper's and Gaga's musical performances all that much better.