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A STAR IS BORN (15)

IT’S a story that’s as old as the Hollywood hills, but this third remake of the 1937 original is still packed with surprises.

We knew Lady Gaga could hold a tune, but we didn’t know she was an Oscarworthy actress.

And we knew Bradley Cooper could act, but we had no idea he could cut it as a rock star.

This powerful drama suggests he could also become a formidable director.

We begin with Cooper on stage as country rock musician Jackson Maine shredding an electric guitar like a seasoned pro in front of what must have been a shocked crowd at a real music festival. After the concert, he polishes off a bottle of vodka in the back of his limo and asks his driver to pull over outside a bar.

It’s hosting a drag night and waitress and struggling singersongwriter Ally (Gaga) has been given a guest spot.

As she belts out a powerhouse version of La Vie En Rose, Jackson is instantly besotted.

He invites her out for a drink, where chemistry between the two leads begins to spark.

The next day, he sends a limo to her house to take her to his next concert, where he invites her on stage to sing a song she shared the night before.

At this point, our eyes should be rolling. There is no way Ally and the band could perform so beautifully without a single rehearsal.

It works because of Cooper’s unfussy direction. He has given so much space to his co-star, we really want her to succeed.

In previous versions, it was jealousy that tore the couple apart. But Cooper freshens it up by emphasising Jackson’s integrity.

He wants her to be a star, but fears she is too eager to make compromises.

After the couple get married, Jackson’s career appears to suddenly nosedive and Ally appears to become an overnight sensation (this film has a terrible grip on the passage of time).

Jackson doesn’t wallow in selfpity, but we get a glimpse of his demons in a touching scene with his much older brother Bobby (Sam Elliot).

We also see a wedge beginning to develop between the couple.

“You’re embarrassing,” he slurs after seeing her perform a naff routine on TV. It’s cruel, but we know where he is coming from.

Gaga will probably make the headlines at the Oscars, where she should be nominated for both Best Song and Best Actress.

But Cooper (the actor and the director) deserves the plaudits for the heart-breaking ending.