User reviews

I know some will say this is a manipulative film. Perhaps, to some extent. When Lady Gaga began performing, I couldn't stand her. My old fogieness caused me to find her pretentious and doing anything for attention. Over the last couple years I have grown to really enjoy what she does. At an advanced age, I would love to see her in concert. Being able to here her great range and depth in this movie was a very pleasant experience. Also, the chops of Bradley Cooper were quite amazing. We all know the plot. I've seen all but one of the previous incarnations, so the big picture stuff was no an issue. There were a few slow moments but I think it worked very well.

This is the 4th version of A Star Is Born I've seen - 5th if you count What Price Hollywood - each version had a life of their own and reflected the times of the time in which it was made. The 2018 version is no exception. For me represented also the revelation of Lady Gaga as a phenomenal film presence. She is, quite simply, superb. Moving, powerful and real. Janet Gaynor had brought a form of overwhelming innocence, Judy Garland exploded in heartbreak in a Hollywood that doesn't exist anymore and she was, unquestionably, memorable. Barbara Streisand was tough with a strong sense of self even during her tribulations. Lady Gaga brings a little of each of them as well as something profoundly personal. Kudos to Bradley Cooper. His Norman Maine has a new name and a totally new presence. At times this version seems more about him than about her. In any case, I loved them both - Bravo!

I did not want to watch this movie but took my wife to see it, because we both saw the one with Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand, growing up. The crowd was a lot older than we were(we are almost 50) it was the biggest screen they had at our theater and seats a lot but it was maybe half full on Sunday afternoon. Not one dry eye in the place, it had a great tempo and didn't drag on or have any lulls in the story. We were both very pleased and are still engaging in conversations about the movie. It's my opinion to highly recommend to everyone go out and watch a great movie and a heartfelt movie that redefines love in this time and age we live in. That is my two cents, hope you enjoy as much as we have.

A magnificent movie, captivating performances by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. The ultimate shock was how brilliant Lady Gaga was, we knew she could sing, but didn't have any idea just how far her acting talent stretches! After watching that I can tell you it stretches far enough to earn her some Oscar gold. The movie is outstanding, the music is annoyingly perfect, the cast is great and everything shouts Oscar worthy movie. Ten out of ten!

Let me start by saying that the performances are solid. Not mind blowing but solid. For her first film, Lady Gaga did very well but I can't say she blew my mind...but hey it's her first film and I like her, so good for her. That being said, the film seems to be getting WAY overblown by people. The first act is really great and the chemistry between Gaga and Cooper is phenomenal but after that it sort of devolves into a melodrama. The character development of Cooper's character is lacking. He is an alcoholic and we certainly see him drunk many times but I didn't see enough struggle to justify his character arc not was Cooper's performance powerful enough to convey the devastating agony of addiction. The film then goes through a few cliches as we see Gaga's character ascend to fame but again, we also don't see enough struggle from her character either. In all, the character conflicts are addressed but the film never fully dives into them in the way it certainly could have. I loved the first song of the film but the rest of the music was surprisingly bland and didn't captivate me at all. Lady Gaga obviously has an incredible voice and Cooper held his own surprisingly. Overall it was a good film, not great, just good.

If you're even a casual moviegoer, chances are you have already heard the argument; that originality is dead in Hollywood. We live in an era where even Ghostbusters is no longer sacred. Where you wouldn't be surprised if one of the large studios announced a remake of the Godfather or Citizen Kane. Those remakes might capture some audience members, but those films almost certainly don't capture the audience's hearts. They certainly don't capture the praise critics. They certainly don't take home any major awards.

That all changes with A Star is Born.

Change, however, is a key word when it comes to remakes. (Or remakes of remakes of remakes...) In order to make the venture worthwhile, the film makers not only have to stay close to the ideas of original film, but they have to have a reason to retell the story. It's a delicate balance. Every version of a Star is Born follows a broken celebrity, in the Winter of his career, damaged by years of drinking who is suddenly reborn when meeting a young ingénue. The two fall in love, but while their relationship develops, their entertainment careers go in different directions.

Director and Co-Star Bradley Cooper's film seemingly borrows more from the Streisand/Kristofferson iteration of A Star is Born (the last time this story was retold), as the dynamic between the two lovers hinges on the music industry. When Streisand and Kristofferson remade the film, (for the fourth time at that point) in 1976, they broke one of the aforementioned expectations, as they both took home Golden Globes for their performances. Perhaps Cooper was more inspired by performance, rather than aesthetic, as the acting is one aspect out of many that shines in Cooper's version. The characters of Jackson Maine (Cooper) and Ally (Lady Gaga) drive the entire story in what is essentially a film with only half a dozen notable characters. Cooper and Lady Gaga have amazing chemistry, and from the moment you see the two on screen together for the first time you feel the connection.

First time director, Cooper, deftly creates intimacy between Jackson and Ally, without which the story would certainly not be as successful. In stadiums housing thousands of fans, in small dressing rooms packed with screaming Drag Queens, in a loud dive bar, in the parking lot of an all-night-grocer, Cooper uses tight framing and sound impeccably to make it seem like they're the only two people in the world. You understand his charm, you see her vulnerability, and the two actors give side-by-side stellar performances.

That isn't to take away anything from a small, but powerful supporting cast. There were some brilliant and surprising moments from Dave Chappelle as Noodles, an old friend of Jackson's who reiterates how much Ally has revitalized Jackson. The largest surprise came from Andrew Dice Clay as Lorenzo, Ally's father. Both Clay and Chappelle brought great moments of love and humanity in their criminally small interactions with the two main characters. Sam Elliot also surprised me in his role as Bobby, Jackson's (much) older brother. They explain the age discrepancy, but the rest is self-explanatory as he and Cooper truly are brothers on screen, with all the frustration, fights and familiarity that goes with that relationship. Elliot in his similarly small time on screen, often showed the softer side of his craft, hiding touching instants of sadness when it comes to his difficult relationship with his brother, concealed only slightly by his iconic mustache.

It begs the question, does Cooper deserve all the praise as director, or does the cast? What I can glean from the film is Cooper definitely had his cast on the same page, as regardless of screen time, these actors made you care about their characters. The audience is invested. There are countless pivotal story beats where these characters may do something frustrating or angering. Instead of merely recognizing that these are hurdles to push the story further, I found myself almost vocally upset, akin to yelling at a character in a horror film to not go in the room where the killer is hiding. This film makes you want the protagonists to succeed, even when dealing with topical subplots regarding celebrity, regret, depression and substance abuse.

And that's because you're along for the ride the entire time. You're a part of this love story. The film sucks you in from the beginning with the roar of a raucous concert audience, the hard beat of the drums on Jackson's stage, and his hypnotic swagger as he plays for thousands. If you were one of the millions of people who have seen the trailer for this film, I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about (kudos to the promotional department of this film, as that, is an extremely engaging and powerful trailer) but it stems from an extremely engaging and powerful film. The music, much like it did with the trailer gets inside you, not just inside your head where you find yourself humming a gentle country lilt sang by Cooper, it gets inside your heart and soul and rattles around. It repeats over and over until you're the one who doesn't want to let go. While Cooper should be commended for taking his craft seriously and improving his singing, this is where Lady Gaga shines, to no one's surprise.

Ally is a perfect role for her. The performer has spoken about how vulnerable and ugly she felt in some scenes when shooting this film, but it made her so real on screen. Ally's career, much like the first half of the film, blasts off, and all you can do is hold on until you realize the songstress is belting a powerful ballad. You wonder, much like her character "how did we get here" but at that point, you're just happy to be along for the ride. It is a testament to Lady Gaga's ability, because being such an iconic figure, if it weren't for her conveyance of sincerity and humility, the character's journey would seem forced and unfulfilling. Because of Gaga's performance, however, you relish the moment Ally can finally embrace who she is and bravely belt out her songs with no inhibition. In a film with so many moments that grab you, the music is undeniably one of my favorite aspects. I can't wait for this film to get a wider release so the studio can also make the soundtrack available.

If and when Award season comes, and A Star is Born is undeniably a forerunner for several major awards, I think Cooper should be commended simply because as director, he brought everything together. The songwriters, the actors, the cinematography, the sound design was superbly balanced to create the best possible version of this story making it, the brightest star for both critics and audiences.

It's a story as old as time, and that's evident in the fact that Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born is the fourth (yes, FOURTH) remake of the movie classic. However, with clearly passionate directing and acting throughout, furthered by wonderful music and an efficient portrayal of the classic rags-to-riches story, this proves a thoroughly entertaining and memorable watch that absolutely flies by over the course of nearly two and a half hours.

But before we get into all that, I have to start with the film's opening half hour, which is exceptional. Despite its long running time, there's so much packed into the opening act, and it's delivered with jaw-dropping passion and energy, to the point where I felt absolutely exhilarated by the film within such a short period of time.

The passion with which Bradley Cooper is directing the movie is clear from the opening scene, and as we see our superstar musician form an unlikely and unexpected bond with a young local singer, the film begins to tell that age-old story about finding fame in beautiful and riveting fashion.

In fact, in the knowledge that it's a story that you know like the back of your hand, Cooper ingeniously ramps the dial up to eleven as we watch our young up-and-coming star caught up in an exhilarating whirlwind as she is suddenly transported from a small waitressing job to singing in front of thousands, culminating in a stunningly moving musical sequence that feels like a true epiphany, as you watch this young woman overwhelmed as she gets her first taste of stardom, something that I was absolutely blown away by.

That opening half hour is truly exceptional. Full of emotion, drama and moving at a pace that mirrors the dramatic transformation from ordinary singer to superstar, it's exhilarating to watch at every moment, and easily the best opening act I've seen from a film this year, setting up the rest of the film fantastically.

Rather unfortunately, however, things don't quite pan out in the same stunning fashion through the rest of the movie. While the remained of A Star Is Born is still good, I was left feeling a little disappointed that it couldn't keep up that same exhilarating energy and emotion from the first act, as things quieten down and become a little more predictable.

Of course, there's nobody who doesn't know this story, so being predictable isn't as much of a problem, but what I found frustrating about the film was how it failed to keep delving deeper into the lives of the lead characters as their careers start flying in completely opposing directions.

As a director, Cooper did an incredible job with the opening half hour, and his passion for the subject matter remains strong throughout, but the problem comes in the way that he portrays the main points of this age-old story in a rather plain fashion, moving a little too readily onto each new stage in the two singers' careers without leaving enough time for things to settle.

In that, the film has a good pace to it that makes it a thoroughly entertaining watch right to the end, but with the exception of the opening act and the finale, there just isn't enough depth to the individuals here, leaving me a little detached from their emotions throughout the middle portion, and having to rely on my knowledge of the classic rags-to-riches story to understand more about what they were feeling.

So, a little bit more clarity and patience would have gone a long way here, and I would have been genuinely happy to watch another half hour or so of the film.

While the second two-thirds of the movie aren't so profoundly moving, that doesn't mean there's nothing to praise, because along with Cooper's passionate directing, we see two fantastic performances from the director himself as well as Lady Gaga.

Starting off with Bradley Cooper, his portrayal of an aging and fading star is thoroughly fascinating to watch. While he doesn't appear as the story's main focus, the quality of his performance is such that I was at times even more invested in his character than the rise of the starlet, as he pulls off the maturity and likability of his battle-hardened character while still putting in a powerful portrayal of his deeper weaknesses, something that makes him both delightfully appealing and still deeply interesting to follow throughout.

Alongside Cooper is Gaga, who is a real revelation here. Given that she's never been in a role of this magnitude before, her acting ability is truly stunning, and she gives a performance that's just as profound and striking as any experienced A-list actress. Taking from her own experience of life in the music business and her rise to stardom in real life, the passion that she feels for her character is clear in every scene, with that previously mentioned epiphany-inducing musical number 'Shallow' featuring the best example of her incredible acting.

She holds fantastic chemistry with Cooper, and the two make their characters' relationship both convincing and genuinely appealing, even through the inevitable ups and downs of the story, keeping your interest strong as the film moves through the story towards the finish.

In the end, I was very impressed with A Star Is Born. It's unfortunately not pitch-perfect all the way through, but after a mind-blowing opening act, and featuring passionate and likable directing and performances throughout, it proves a massively entertaining watch regardless, with some excellent music to boot.

The storyline of "A Star Is Born" is great with the story of the rise of a new star and the fall of the old one, who is her beloved alcoholic man that discovered and promoted her career. This 2018 version and fourth famous remake has the excellent Bradley Cooper not only singing but also directing and a surprising Lady Gaga in the lead role. Sam Elliott completes the magnificent cast. In addition, great screenplay, music score, cinematography and edition that make this romance one of the favorites to the Oscar. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Nasce uma Estrela" ("A Star Is Born")

Young female song writer gets talent spotted by an old rock star and taken along to his gigs.

Could be subtitled, 'An Indroduction to the Self Destructive World of Music Fame.'

Too many stretched scenes and not enough music. The dialogue is very hit and miss; sometimes it really works while others it's so much navel gazing. The editor needed much sharper sciscors.

For Lady Gaga fans.

Do not watch if you're already suffering from depression.

Being a film buff I never watched the older takes of "A Star is Born" however I watched this latest modern spin with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga(who have great on screen chemistry together). The film is a joy as it touches your emotions and grows on you from the love of the two central characters and the pain combined with fame and sorrow make this musical drama(the songs are uplifting)a wonderful watch.

Jackson Maine(Bradley Cooper) is a hard living and hard whiskey drinking western rock singer who lives it up entertaining crowd after crowd. Jackson is a man who's got plenty of personal demons besides the bottle as his family friction with only brother Bobby(the great Sam Elliott) weighs on his heart heavy. Things change when Ally(Lady Gaga) captures his heart along the way the two get to know each other in an intimate way as passion becomes love.

Still the love is not without struggle and heartache as Ally becomes famous and well known while Jackson's music and personal life both take a downward path with alcoholism as he just can't escape his own dark shadows. It's like you as the viewer could see the tragedy coming all along.

Overall entertaining film with fine and beautiful music and the on screen chemistry between Bradley and Gaga is in top notch form, as clearly this is one love drama to see that showcases the rise of fame and stardom, also while showing a grim personal downfall.

I had high expectation before watching this since there's so much hype and I enjoy Lady Gaga music, and I've left cinema with disappoints.

The story is meh, it's way too long, slow, confused and a bit superficial, especially third last of the movies. Bradly Cooper act is amazing, however it's a bit ruined by unnecessary long and slow story at the end. Gaga act was so so, story of how main character became the star was so poorly directed and a bit nonsense.

And the music, it's mixed, there's some good moment but overall is just ok. Compare to other great musical movie like La la land, this is way behind.

I don't get why this get so much 10 stars, perhaps Gaga's fan should stop polluting IMDB with bias reviews. I saw so many 10 stars rate (like thousands) even months before movie came out.

I'm a little lost on how this movie is getting so many high reviews. Its a good looking movie, but the characters are relatively uninteresting and the best thing about the music is that they're not always singing.

It just seemed to drag on and on. And on. And on.

This is the time of the year when Oscar worthy movies begin to come out and "A Star is Born" has definitely began the season and set the bar.

I knew Bradley Cooper can act and he did a great job but Lady Gaga was the one to steal the show with a marvelous performance. The chemistry between the two of them was the driving factor for this beautiful film where so much happens and yet it never feels rushed or forced. The flow is just natural and filled with various emotions from sadness to humor, despair and anger.... As expected, the music is diverse and touching from both Gaga and Cooper who was a big surprise in this department.

Overall a wonderful film that leaves a good afterthought after you exit the cinema.

Bradley cooper and Lady Gaga collaboration on this remake of the classic A Star Is Born results in an outstanding movie and soundtrack that keeps you looking ofr more until the very end of the movie.

Had heard nothing but great things about this latest 'A Star is Born' film, with even my own sister saying it was a must see. There was also the interest to see how Lady Gaga would fare in her acting debut and how Bradley Cooper would fare as first-time director. Decided to see it when taking a break from practise with nothing else better to do, going in with very high expectations, as part of my "seeing as many 2018 films as possible" quest.

This is not the only, or first, 'A Star is Born' film. There is one from 1937 with Mitzi Gaynor and Fredric March, my personal favourite. There is one from 1954, the most famous, which is overlong but does contain Judy Garland's best ever performance and terrific songs (especially the heart-wrenching "The Man That Got Away"), love James Mason in it too. There is the 1976 film with Barbra Streisand, personally don't care for it but Streisand sings beautifully and "Evergreen" is to die for.

As far as the versions of 'A Star is Born' goes, this one from 2018 compares extremely favourably. Not quite as good as the 1937 film, but on the same level as 1954 and better than 1976. May not love it as much as others, but the appeal is justified and the acclaim is deserved from my personal perspective. In terms of films from 2018, 'A Star is Born' is among the better ones.

It's not perfect. A few story elements are a touch rushed and lack credibility, like Ally getting stage spotlight in such a short space of time, and occasionally it's a little on-the-nose like the making Ally glitzier advice from Rez.

The final act also could have been tightened, slightly too padded and dragged out.

What 'A Star is Born' does so well is taking a familiar story and making it still fresh and relatable. It's always entertaining and glamorous yet the love story is every bit as important, and even more so, and is both charming and emotionally impactful. Everything about 'A Star is Born' is slick, endlessly entertaining and with lots of heart and surprising poignancy, also had the experience of not a dry eye being in the auditorium with tears silently rolling with me.

Visually, it's very eye catching and sumptuously made, beautifully shot with lots of glitzy glamour and style. Loved the songs, none are quite on the same level as "The Man That Got Away" and "Evergreen" but they are extremely well written, easy to remember, have a wide range of emotions, are very well sung and staged, are integrated beautifully integrated into the story, some moving the story forward or telling it through the song rather than being a grinding things to a halt distraction. "I'll Never Love Again" and "Shallow" stand out.

Dialogue has wit and heart and the story shines particularly in the first third. Cannot say anything bad about the performances, with Lady Gaga providing a contender for the most surprising performances of the year in a quite outstanding acting debut (her singing is also absolutely great of course), a star is born indeed. Bradley Cooper gives one of his best performances as a charismatic and charming yet conflicted leading man, do not associate him with musicals and worried as to whether he would fit but it fits him like a glove. He too directs for the first time, and it is hard to believe that a directing job this slick and audacious was only his debut, really do disagree about his contributions being a vanity project with so much effort being put into everything. There is fine support from particularly Sam Elliott and the chemistry between the two leads is wholly believable.

Altogether, very, very good and often splendid. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The editing is a mess, and the transitions of the plot or characters are rather strange. There is no narrative focus and the storytelling is unbalanced. I cannot really understand why such a bad movie received an overwhelming approval from the critics. Maybe they are all fans of Gaga? Bradley Cooper should stop making movies.

Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, "A Star Is Born," is a very satisfying and well-made remake of the classic story. While it does have some flaws, the film is generally powerful and thoughtful. In the film, Cooper stars as a troubled country/rock musician who falls in love with a pop star (Lady Gaga.) Viewers will likely be thrilled by the considerable musical talent on display here, as the songs are incredibly well performed. The acting in the film is very strong, with Bradley Cooper giving a wholly convincing performance as such an ambiguous and flawed protagonist. I didn't expect Lady Gaga to be completely convincing in her role, but she did a great job with both acting as well as singing (she has several moments in the spotlight during the film's concert or other music-based moments.) Sam Elliott headlines the film's supporting cast, and he also does not disappoint either. Look for these positive qualities to absolutely be recognized during awards season this winter.

While the film's music and acting are superb, some notable lapses are present over the course of the movie's 135-minute running time. The first concern with the film that I have is that it does run a bit too long, and could have easily trimmed 20 or 25 minutes off its running time without sacrificing anything of importance. The film does, from time to time, take the unfortunate route of indulging in some cheesy clichés of romantic dramas. This isn't surprising, but it's a bit unfortunate for a film that otherwise feels fairly structurally unique despite being a remake of a film that has been made multiple times before. But at the end of the day, viewers who see this film are here for strong performances and a great soundtrack. On those merits, they will certainly be rewarded, and I do recommend this film for sure. 7.5/10

This movie really touched my heart, it really is the best movie of the year and everyone should see this masterpiece. I was impressed by Gaga's acting skills, she deserves an Oscar! And her voice.... Omg she is so perfect, the song I Will Never Love Again is so majestic

A little weak, IMO. Gaga has a great voice, obviously, but not a great actress yet. Every other word from Cooper's mouth was the F word and a couple of nude looks of Gaga were too gratuitous, not necessary. The story of the father and brother were not fully explained. I still like the Streisand version better.

Poised to be an instant classic, almost everything about this film is phenomenal - the acting, the cinematography, the discography, etc.

The movie has an amazing story but a little slower and lengthy that what I prefer

Just watched this with my movie theatre-working friend. It's quite a fine remake of something done three times previous. I've only seen the previous two that Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand did. Lady Gaga does quite well in her acting scenes and, of course, her musical performances are aces. Bradley Cooper also sings well. His direction is also mostly excellent as is his acting. Also, nice supporting turns by Sam Elliott and Andrew Dice Clay. In summary, this version of A Star is Born is highly recommended by me and my friend!