Director Cooper triumphs in ‘Star’
filmed at Coachella, Glastonbury and other festivals by cinematographer Matthew Libatique, is rousingly well done.)
Cooper’s easygoing charisma is a major asset here, as is his commitment to sounding convincing as a countryinflected rocker for songs that were recorded live during filming. That meant months of vocal work that lowered the actor’s range a full octave.
Singing, obviously, was not going to be an issue for megastar Lady Gaga, but what is remarkable about her splendid star turn as the up and coming Ally is the convincing vulnerability and naturalness, including wearing minimal makeup, she brings to the ordinary side of the part. Ally’s nervous tentativeness is so convincing that when she unleashes her powerhouse voice the effect is overpowering.
The on-screen chemistry between these two is electrifying, and director Cooper, whose past performances — “Silver Linings Playbook” especially — have demonstrated a generosity toward his co-stars, knows it. “A Star Is Born” takes its time, hurrying nothing (it’s close to an hour until the first kiss), unable to believe the good fortune of its pairing.
It’s a monumental coincidence, naturally, that brings these two together. Desperate for yet another drink after a concert, Jack has his limo stop at what turns out to be a bar specializing in drag performance. Ally’s gay best friend, Ramon (Anthony Ramos breathes new life into this familiar role), recognizes him and ushers him in.
Ally used to be a waitress at the bar and, as chance would have it, is about to go out to sing. But it won’t be one of her own compositions — she is too tentative about her talent, not to mention her looks, to try that. She opts instead for one of the most iconic songs ever (and a Lady Gaga favorite), Edith Piaf ’s “La Vie En Rose.”
Naturally Jack is smitten by Ally’s talent and beauty, and they spend hours together, ending the night in a supermarket parking lot, confessing their fears. Jack encourages Ally so much that she comes out with a few lyrics of a song she’s been working on.
After that, Ally thinks she’s going to go back to her normal life living with dad Lorenzo (Andrew Dice Clay), who runs a limousine service out of their home, but Jack will have none of it.
He dispatches his private jet — really — to take Ally and Ramon to his next soldout concert. Nothing will do but for Jack to call her on stage to perform “Shallow,” her parking lot song and the film’s signature anthem, along with him. It is quite the Hollywood moment.
Of course there are things Jack isn’t telling Ally — including the extent of his substance abuse problem, his increasing deafness, his fractious relationship with his half-brother and manager, Bobby (a wonderful Sam Elliott). But, hey, no one said love was supposed to be easy.
Speaking of love, if “A Star Is Born” has a problem, it’s that the coming together of these two is so right that the film has a hard time making it equally plausible when the current starts flowing the other way.
Things that felt logical for Mason and Garland in 1954 do not work as well in 2018, and the film stumbles a bit trying to have it all make sense, especially as relates to the ambivalent role superstar manager Rez (Rafi Gavron) comes to play in Ally’s career.
Finally, however, these are quibbles, nothing more, in a triumphant revival both of a specific story and a particular style of filmmaking. Jack may sing “maybe it’s time to let the old ways die,” but “A Star Is Born” says not so fast, not so fast at all.