"A Star Is Born" Review: A Fresh Look At A Classic Story

Even before its release, A Star is Born (2018) existed as a landmark point in the history of contemporary American cinema.  This is the third version of the story to hit the screen since 1937.  It also marks the directorial debut of Bradley Cooper, as well as the big screen debut of Lady Gaga.  The press for this iteration has been brimming with praise since the film’s premiere screening at the Venice Film Festival.  While not destined for classic status, A Star is Born is a strong debut feature and provides a fresh look at a classic story. 

Ally’s (Gaga) life is a struggle; she lives at home with her father (Andrew Dice Clay) and works as a server in an upscale restaurant in the city.  Her only reprieve is her weekly slot at a local bar, where her vocal talent allows her to perform live alongside a group of lip-synching drag queens.  This all changes when singer-songwriter Jackson Maine (Cooper) swings by the bar on his way home from another headlining arena show.  Maine immediately falls for Ally, and the couple embark on a journey through the contemporary music industry filled with soaring highs and soul-crushing lows. 

The film serves as a strong directorial debut for Cooper, who quickly draws the audience in, even though they may be familiar with the story.  The numerous musical performances were shot live in secret during a number of large musical festivals and feel extremely authentic…because they are.  The camera stays close to its characters, resulting in extremely intimate moments within the context of packed stadiums and festivals.  The songs, many of which are penned by the stars, are emotional earworms that support the main storyline and will likely stay with audiences after the lights come up in the theater.

Cooper’s reliance on close-ups throughout the rest of the film keep this intimacy going when its characters are offstage as well. Despite the quality of the direction, the film is not without issues.  The film’s 135 minute runtime starts to crawl after a while; the momentum built in the opening hour drifts away in the final act.  In addition, Cooper’s choice to replace an existing narrative of the rise and fall of musicians with a battle over “authenticity” is an interesting one, but it doesn’t quite land. 

While the film serves as evolution for Cooper’s career, it’s Lady Gaga who steals the show.  The pop star’s stripped-down turn as Ally makes her a serious contender in the film industry.  Near unrecognizable sans the elaborate costuming she’s known for, Gaga becomes her character and elevates the emotional core of the story.  This is in contrast with Cooper, whose performance as Maine, while good, wasn’t born of the same immersion  While the leads are obviously the focus here, much could be said for the supporting cast, all of whom provide a real sense of depth to their roles.  This is especially true of Sam Elliot, who plays Cooper’s older brother/manager Bobby. 

A Star is Born isn’t perfect, but it will likely be remembered as a watermark in the careers of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.  The film will probably receive a number of Oscar nominations, although wins are not guaranteed.   This reimagining of A Star is Born manages to take a classic Hollywood tale and update it with the visual playbook of modern independent cinema.  Fans of either may come away with a positive opinion of the film. 

Rating: A-

"War Dogs" Review

I wasn’t expecting much from War Dogs. The trailer suggested it was about two frat boys who made their way to the top of the arms dealer chain to live an American dream that’s one for the record books. Director Todd Phillips has helmed films like Road Trip, Due Date, and Hangover 1 & 2, so that also put me in a frame of mind as to what the film would be like. While the film certainly is light-hearted and has its comedic moments, I was surprised to see a line of serious social commentary weaved throughout it.

Based on a true story, War Dogs focuses on David Packouz (Miles Teller) and Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill). After being a massage therapist in the Miami area for the rich, and trying to step out into a failed entrepreneurial endeavor selling bed sheets, David is down on his luck.  Enter his childhood friend Efraim, who tells him he has a million dollars in his bank account, not to brag, just because they’re boys. David is quickly sucked into Efraim’s world. He learns that the US government has a website that is opened to the public for bidding on selling weapons, uniforms, vehicles, and other bulk war needs.

This movie is slick as Efraim, the mastermind behind it all. It pulls some of its crime genre aesthetics straight from Goodfellas with the main character narrating over a freeze frame as he explains why Albanian gangsters are punching him.  Weapons and uniforms have animated prices on them to stress the central theme of war being about money. The gimmicks work for the story though, as it helps us start to view dealing weapons as they do. You see the dollars and cents behind war, and thus you can see how so many profit off of it.

As David and Efraim start to go higher up the chain, David tries to keep things from his devoted girlfriend Iz (an underused Ana De Armas). Iz is strictly in the film as a beautiful one-note girlfriend, who gives conflict back on the home front as David goes into high-risk situations in Iraq and Albania. It’s the ride to the top and adventures along the way that are entertaining to watch and certainly humorous.

Jonah Hill is a scene-stealer as Efraim. From the moment he steps into the frame you can see he’s a slick talking con artist who will be whoever he needs to be for the person he’s talking with as David says in the film. Hill’s signature laugh, created for this character, tops it all off. Teller is our eyes-in character, and is solid in his role but nothing more, nothing less. We get two well done character performances from Kevin Pollack and Bradley Cooper to round out the cast.

As long as you know what you’re getting into this weekend, War Dogs is surprisingly entertaining.  The reason it works, is because the comedy breaks up the insane, unbelievably dangerous situations we see these two twenty-somethings get involved in on screen. Yet, it’s sobering to realize that this is all based on reality.  Right down to the amount of time (or lack there of) they are supposed to serve for their crimes, it really makes you think about our justice system, or lack there of.

Rating: C+