"Music is essentially twelve notes between any octave," says the grizzled old man played by Sam Elliott. "Twelve notes and the octave repeats. It's the same story told over and over forever. All that the artist can offer the world is how they see those twelve notes. That's it." It's a moment that fully validates the logic behind creating yet another version of this movie.
There are stories that transcend time and culture. Think of Romeo and Juliet, the star-crossed lovers and the tragedy of their families; it's one of those essential stories that will always exist and constantly finds ways to reinvent itself to stay fresh and exciting. And of course there's A Star is Born, the 1937 romantic drama of a fading celebrity who helps a young artist rise during the course of their doomed relationship. You might say A Star is Born is a spin-off of R&J, where the lovers aren't star-crossed so much as, simply, stars.
It's the ultimate cinematic depiction of the glories and horrors of fame, framed in a gorgeous love story. That's why it's been re-made (adapted, really) twice before. It just works, and it can clearly be applied to multiple cultures, contexts, and even art forms. From movies to musical theatre, and from rock to country, A Star is Born may rely on familiar plots and characters, but each time we've seen it, it feels fresh and urgent, beautiful and ultimately heartrending.
Easily my favorite version of the story, this film is sure to be a top contender for lots of awards, and rightfully so. Director Bradley Cooper has crafted an amazing film, proving himself to be as awesome behind the camera as in front. For his first time doing it, Cooper pulls some deft tricks with style, camera, and arresting emotional beats in a story we all know too well. As a performer, this might be one of his best outings. He disappears so completely into the role I forgot several times who I was watching. It's clearly a passion project for him, and there is not a moment you don't utterly believe everything he's giving you. And his voice is amazing, dexterously fulfilling the needs of both rock and country.
And then there's Lady Gaga, who matches him perfectly in each shot, with each beat, and through each note. The movie is as much hers as his, and the two have chemistry that will put every other romance this year to shame. And while her acting chops are proven multiple times here, Cooper is smart enough to let Gaga play her strengths too, belting out ballads in some scenes and twitching her dance moves in another to a synth-pop bop. In fact, more than once I had the unnerving impression I was watching Gaga in some sort of autobiographical performance, recreating some of her own life for us, allowing us to see what no audience member should ever see of their favorite celebrities.
I could go on forever praising this movie. The close-up camerawork keeps things that should be larger-than-life horribly, palpably intimate. Its grounded realism is also deeply impressionistic, forcing us to feel every second in our heart, pounding its joys and sorrows into us with every drum beat and guitar string. In fact, go see this movie in as big and beautiful a theater you can. Get one with a great sound system, because the sound mixing and musical editing is something you need to feel as much as hear.
Now go and tell everyone you know to go see this movie. And buy the soundtrack. And play it on repeat. It's unbelievable. And knowing that Gaga insisted for most of it to be recorded live on set makes it just that much more incredible. Plus, several of the songs are only partly performed onscreen; the soundtrack gives you full songs and -- trust me -- it's worth it and then some. This is musical and dramatic gold, y'all. Dig it.
IMDb: A Star is Born
No comments:
Post a Comment