art of the remake

Rating: 9/10 (27 November 2018)

I find it quite funny when film critics or fans lament the 'lack of originality and creativity' of the contemporary movie makers using as an example the relative high number of remakes at Hollywood or big studios in other countries. After all cinematography is not the only art where the use of the same theme, characters, and sometimes of the same text or musical score is current practice. It is certainly used in theater or music which recycle the classical repertory of plays or symphonic compositions, completely new works being the exception rather than the rule. So I have no problems with remakes in cinema. Having said this I would also add that it's no easy task to make an interesting remake on topics or with characters and action that are well known to the broad audiences. New scripts and stories have the advantages of the surprise and of the thrill of the unknown. For a remake to be successful it needs to bring a fresh perspective and to add value to the existing familiar theme, it needs to figure out how to trigger new emotions in the hearts and minds of the viewers who 'already know how it ends'. All these conditions are in my opinion met by the latest version of 'A Star Is Born' the debut as director of Bradley Cooper who also cast himself in the lead role with pop superstar Lady Gaga as partner.
The 21st century version of 'A Star Is Born' adds to the well known story a couple of dimensions related to the music industry which changed so much since the previous remake in the 70s. The already famous musician is a rock star, his life as an artist takes place on the scenes of the never ending tours circuit, his excesses and the roots of his down-spiraling life track can be found not only in his own soul but also in the style of life full with excesses that is shared by so many rock stars, to the point where it becomes almost a condition for success. She is not only an aspiring artist singing in bars while not even daring to dream to a musical career, but also a talent which soon after gleaming in the public eyes is targeted to embark on a commercial pop rather than a rocker career. In this remake of the known story, not only are the two careers on crossing paths (her ascending, his descending) but they also go on divergent artistic roads - classic rock vs. commercial pop. Do both tracks allow for success as well as for artistic accomplishment? The lessons about 'be yourself and say what you need to say in order to become an artist' seems obvious in the first part, but seems to enter in conflict with the destiny of the two musicians as the story develops. The very decisive stand taken by the script writers and the director seems obvious to me, but it's not really the accepted vision in the industry nowadays, and one could say that even the career of Lady Gaga can be seen as a counter-example to the destiny of the character that she incarnates on the big scene.
I must confess my pleasure and emotion in watching the story of two artists and of their relationship. The rock concert scenes in the first 30 minutes of so of the movie are among the best I can remember. Bradley Cooper does what most great actors do when they first cross the line and seat behind the camera - he directs his actors with a clear concept of what he wants to receive from them while allowing for the degree of freedom that makes each of them happy to be on screen in his film. The result is a very coherent and vibrating gallery of supporting characters. Cooper and Lady Gaga have a fantastic chemistry on screen. It's not easy to play a role that was previously acted byJudy Garland and Barbra Streisand and Lady Gaga succeeds not only to create a new character but also to all but efface the older versions from our memories. As a film director Bradley Cooper seems to have followed the advice his hero gives in the film: kook inside yourself to seek for what you have to say, the most important thing as an artist is to be true to his own emotions. The result is a film which is deeply moving and a pleasure to watch and listen to.