Confession: I don’t think I ever watched the entire 1976 version of A Star is Born (bits and parts, but not the whole thing in any one sitting). And I’d had no idea that this 2018 version is the fourth (fifth, internationally) version of the tale. Maybe the Streisand-Kristofferson version, as third, was a charm (it nearly swept its Golden Globe awards (but won only Best Song for the Oscar)), but this Lady Gaga-Bradley Cooper film shines even brighter.
This 2018 A Star is Born has Oscar-worthy everything and blockbuster, wide-audience appeal. As for actual awards, though, it won only Best Song for its Golden Globe list (while nominated in four of five major categories), and it was shut out at the SAG awards. It has eight nominations including four of the five majors (if Adapted Screenplay can count as the screenplay category) from the Academy. And although I’m touting its greatness, I don’t see that many awards going its way. Although I haven’t seen all of the competition yet, I’m still comfortable making a broad statement: although A Star is Born is worthy of awards, others in the running this year are better.
Yes, Bradley Cooper delivers a strong portrayal of his brooding, alcoholic character whose career is waning. But he doesn’t transform in the way Rami Malek or Christian Bale do. I never forgot I was watching Bradley Cooper with scruff on his face and in his voice. Yes, learning to sing and play the guitar for the role is admirable. But I don’t think that puts him above others for the golden statue.
Lady Gaga, on the other hand — wow. Watching Lady Gaga portray this person filled with insecurities and complexities shine and blossom as she comes into her own intrigued and delighted me. I loved seeing her without the façade so often seen. But — this use of this conjunction is never good, eh? — But the movie transforms her too quickly, to me, to be able to appreciate the shift in her character from innocent excitement (with underlying hardship/brooding) to confident star with the weight of so many on her shoulders. I think we lose out in watching more of that development happen in her character, being whisked too quickly as the new career excels.
This all said, my unfamiliarity with the other versions (1937, 1954, 1976, and 2013 Bollywood) also meant I was unfamiliar with how this tale would turn out. I won’t share that here, but I will say, having now (since watching the current version) read the plots of the predecessors, Bradley Cooper and team did a phenomenal job at adapting the old screenplays to a modern version. It worked. It worked well. They did not go for the gratuitous shots as the story takes its darker turn. They allowed the story to keep some holes, understanding that the audience does not always need all of the answers. And they wove some of the key points from prior spins of the story to keep the common thread that makes the tale what it is, even in changing times, that being, at its core, a timeless tale. Of all the categories (other than Best Song (I don’t pretend to know enough about that category (nor do I see the all of the films with such nomination))), Best Adapted Screenplay seems a strong area for A Star is Born come Oscar night.
I discussed the film afterward with my movie companions. We discussed the ever-needed aspect of a story in that we want to care about some of the characters in a film in order to have that vested interest. Not only did we here, but we actually cared about everyone. The story is particularly interesting because the antagonist doesn’t necessarily come in the form of a person. This is also, though, a story where you cannot tell who is sitting on whose coattails, creating the potential for a desperate, downward spiral. As ugly as some of the behavior is, though, we still cheered for everyone on screen. And that leaves you feeling quite satisfied as an audience member.