This movie truly uncovers new material

Rating: Null/10 (17 April 2019)

"If we've been around long enough, we think we know 'A Star Is Born.'" Uh uh, not this time. Here, both the actors (including the supporting actors) and the screenwriters have uncovered new material.
First, we see a juxtaposition of entirely different musical genres - country-acoustic and techno-pop, both in the hands of masters. Actor and Actress demonstrate their respective abundant skills. We enjoy seeing the ever-versatile "Lady Gaga" in three ways: out-of-makeup, in her chosen element, and in evening cocktail dress. We see a glimpse of the highly-choreographed and well-rehearsed processes which bring her shows to us. Likewise we see a "talented audience-connecting guitarist, doing the same with nothing but a guitar."
We enjoy a plot-line that carefully never throws the "descending arc" character under the bus - never shows him as "washed up" - but instead shows an auditorium full of people attending his memorial service ... after a death that you never actually see.
Most of all, this movie centers very realistically upon the human tragedy that is substance abuse - including very-sincere efforts to escape from it which sometimes don't succeed. It shows the reality of interventions by others, which once again sometimes don't succeed. It shows, also, that sometimes neither "the love of a spouse" nor "the love of a brother" - - - succeed.
At the end of the movie - I grieved for, and with, both lead characters, and with the many supporting characters who were in their own way caught up in the tragic story-arc. And yet, I still felt hope. Substance abuse is a tragedy that we probably will never manage to get rid of in our society, and here - masterfully staged and executed on all points - is an illustration of just what it costs. OscarsÂ® were richly deserved.