Anybody can tell that I’m a fan of movies. Anybody who really knows me, knows that I’ve been anticipating A Star is Born to be released since the first trailer for it debuted back on June 6th of this year. The more I saw the trailer (which played before a lot of movies that I’ve seen), the more I wanted to see it. This was actually probably one of the most anticipated movies for me in a long time, even though I’ve never seen any of the other versions of this film (1937 with Janet Gaynor, 1954 with Judy Garland, or 1976 with Barbra Streisand).
Now, with great anticipation comes great expectations, especially since the talk around the movie industry is calling for Oscar nominations all around (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song, just to name a few). A movie with all of these expectations can only end up disappointing in the long run, right? A Star is Born absolutely exceeded them!
Bradley Cooper gives an astounding directorial debut, to the point that he’s already being compared to Academy Award winning director Clint Eastwood. This is quite ironic since this film was originally supposed to be directed by Eastwood and star Beyoncé. Cooper also pulls double duty in this film as the male lead, Jackson Maine, giving another performance worthy of at least a nomination at the upcoming Oscars. I can honestly say that Cooper is better in this than at least two of his three previous acting nominations (Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle). I can’t vouch for his performance in American Sniper as I’ve never seen it, and don’t intend to, but that’s due to personal reasons.
Lady Gaga deserves all of the hype she has been getting for her role as Ally. We’ve seen Lady Gaga in a few movies before, most notably Machete Kills and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, but none of those really let her show off her acting ability. Yes, she has won a Golden Globe for playing The Countess in season 5 of American Horror Story, but acting in a movie and acting in a TV show are very different. You have less time to develop your character in the time span of a feature length film. This is why some thespians stick almost strictly to TV and others do the same with movies. She manages to steal literally every scene she is in and is proving herself to be an actress to be reckoned with going forward. With all due respect to Charlize Theron (Tully), Toni Collette (Hereditary), and Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade), this has quickly turned into a Best Actress Oscar that Lady Gaga is destined to win.
The supporting cast in this movie was extremely well cast. Sam Elliott, easily one of the most underrated actors out there, adds another powerful, commanding performance to his resume as Jackson’s older brother, Bobby. The talk around Tinseltown is that he’s a shoo-in for a Best Supporting Actor nomination (something that he has somehow never had before), and you can’t argue with that. Andrew “Dice” Clay (yes, the Diceman himself) plays Ally’s father in a way that you would expect a more seasoned actor to do than him. The film has many other recognizable actors sprinkled throughout in supporting roles (Dave Chappelle, Greg Gunberg, and even Eddie Griffin, just to name a few).
A musical like this is virtually a lock to be nominated for Best Original Song. I know it wouldn’t happen, but this movie has the potential to sweep all 5 nominations in this category. Consensus has been that “Shallow” is the frontrunner to win this category. If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve heard the song. It’s an incredible song that drives the movie. With that being said, it shouldn’t win. The best song from the movie, with the best placement in the story and the most powerful performance (especially the way the performance ends on screen) is “I’ll Never Love Again”. Granted, I felt that “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman should have easily won last year in this category, only to lose to “Remember Me” from Coco, so I may not be the best judge here.
All in all, a movie with incredibly high expectations that manages to completely exceed them is hard to find. There’s a major reason behind all of the hype: it’s just that good! Being released in October can be a little risky, when most horror films get released for Halloween. October is also slightly early for awards season films, which generally runs the last 6 weeks of the year, to stay fresh in voters’ minds. This film should have the staying power to overcome these slight obstacles. Don’t be surprised to see double digit nominations for A Star is Born when they’re announced in January.
Zackman at the Movies 