The question is why does Hollywood attempt to remake a classic film? The answer could be another question. What came first, the chicken or the egg? This very slow moving film shows that if stars are in the movie, the script doesn’t matter.
Bradley Cooper plays Jack, a fading country star. One night, after a concert, and heavy drinking, he stops into a drag bar. It’s here that he meets Ally, played by Lady Gaga. The two have a grand old time drinking. Ally gets into a fight, and hurts her hand. Jack plays doctor, and fixes her hand using frozen vegetables and a bandage. Unfortunately this is the best part of the film. It just goes downhill after that. Jack loves her singing and lets her appear on stage with him. Everyone loves her, and her career begins to take off. Lady Gaga does give a decent acting performance, and is a good singer. She may be the best part of this disappointing movie. In between becoming a music sensation, Ally marries Jack, even knowing about his destructive lifestyle. She continues to soar in the music business, and Jack continues on his downward spiral. The worst is when Ally receives a Grammy award for best new artist, and her husband collapses from the booze and the drugs. This has destroyed her moment in the sun, and also their marriage. Bradley Cooper’s character is reamed out by Ally’s manager, and unfortunately his words sink in, with tragic effect. He goes to his home and kills himself. After this, Ally is shown performing, with tears flowing, and the film ends.
It would be unfair to compare Judy Garland’s performance in the 1954 film, to Lady Gaga’s. The thing is that the songs were better in that version, and that helped the film. Also the Garland version, does have the same tragic element, but the tragic figure, is played by James Mason. Bradley Cooper is a good actor, but a veteran actor or a country music star, with acting experience would have helped.
Another fault of this movie is that Bradley Cooper makes his directorial debut. Everyone has to start somewhere but this isn’t it. There is nothing that comes to mind, that shows he should helm another feature film, in the near future. It’s like managers and coaches in sports, any success or failure lies with them. Directors get the blame for a films failure.
This movie may have worked, had it been a musical, or at least more and better songs. Also top notch actors wouldn’t hurt. The story does play more like a Shakespeare tragedy, than an MGM musical, but all of the versions do. Even so, a Hollywood production, requires time and effort to succeed, and this movie doesn’t come close to success, on most levels.