*This review may contain spoilers for “A Star is Born.”*
With a budget of $36-40 million, “A Star is Born” tells the story of how a country music star, Jackson Maine, battles a drinking problem and the music industry by sticking to his roots.
Ally Campana (Lady Gaga) falls in love with Maine (Bradley Cooper) when he pulls her out of her comfort zone and makes her sing for the world.
Cooper directed, starred and wrote his own unique modern take on the fourth version of the film.
Being the first film he’s ever directed, he said, “I always knew I wanted to direct, I’ve always grown up making movies in my mind and so compositionally there was a lot going on.”
According to Gaga she was surprised to hear Cooper sing because the music comes from his soul.
“I truly knew in that moment that he’s [Cooper] the only person who could play a Rockstar,” Gaga said. “I think it is very very difficult role to play if you don’t do your homework… He looked at everything and he wrote music for himself. I watched him be a musician.”
The films story picks up when Campana’s duet with Maine went viral online and she begins climbing to the top, while Maine falls to the bottom.
As much as Maine tries to keep Campana’s values and music true, she falls into the pop culture of the media and her music no longer leaves behind a message for fans. With the temptation of pleasing others instead of pleasing oneself, Campana works to create an image in the media.
Similar to when people are losing their authentic selves by pleasing others, the film shows a traditional message seen today.
Maine struggles with alcohol and drugs throughout the film and Campana tries to get him to clean up his act to deal with his jealousy, ultimately leading to tear worthy ending.
The film has grossed over $299 million worldwide and provided viewers with a stunning musical story.
The music in the film is phenomenal with original songs written by Lukas Nelson and Gaga. According to Billboard, Gaga’s duet “Shallow” with Cooper is her longest leading number one on the digital sales chart; it has reigned at number one for five weeks as of Nov. 8. The album spent the first three weeks as number one on Billboards 200 album chart.
If you’re looking for a romance that focuses on old-cinema feelings with a modern spin, make sure you see “A Star is Born” before it leaves theaters.
