The tragic side of superstardom

Rating: 10/10 (28 October 2019)

"A Star Is Born" is a 2018 musical drama directed by Bradley Cooper starring him and Lady Gaga in the leading roles. Exactly one year ago, I was watching this film with my then girlfriend and was absolutely impressed by it. Not only played it a key role in my relationship, it's even my favourite movie of 2018. And after rewatching it, my personal opinion is even more confirmed. Coopers directorial debut is a flat out masterpiece. It might be the third remake of a story as old as time, but he excellently managed to put it in the modern times. It's a love story with music in it's blood, not only this, it tackles even more important themes: drug and alcohol addiction, the importance of never losing oneself and especially, the shadow side of fame. It's a perfect portrait of a musician dealing with his demons and declining fame and the rise of a promising talent all the same. Both parts are outstandingly played by their respective actors, Cooper and Gaga, and it was a shame that neither of them won the academy award for their performance. They both acted with extreme passion (surprising: Gaga) and both showed their immense musicality (unexpected: Cooper). Furthermore, it's an amazing overview of how the modern music industry works. The character development of both Jack and Ally is absolutely well paced and tragically shows us how much success influences your personality. Next to this, the plot is written with such great empathy and it extremely effects the overall atmosphere. Also, this film has one of the greatest soundtracks of the recent years and, as it's usually not my habit, many of the songs are still in my playlist. As if that was not enough, the final act is even the most touching part of it all. The camera work and editing make it possible to capture the absolutely heartbreaking scenes and the overdose of emotions linked to them. It's absolutely devastating and sad, it hits you with such vehemence that it will leave you speechless after it. Honestly, I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried my eyes out, especially with this rewatch where I knew what's gonna happen, but this time I could understand how it all comes together. All in all, this drama is an outstanding masterpiece that manages to combine both a love story and drama to an absolute tragedy. With convincing and genuine performances and excellent writing it offers a critical look at superstardom and the interpretation of talent . One of the most heartbreaking dramas of the recent years and one of my favourites in general.