Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.
Camera IconLady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

A Star is Born review: Cooper film lacks emotional weight

Lucy RutherfordEastern Reporter

THE fourth film version of A Star is Born retells the story of an alcoholic rock-star who jumpstarts the career of a talented young woman.

After another sell-out concert, Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) finds himself in a drag bar where he is captivated by Ally (Lady Gaga) in a performance of La Vie En Rose.

By day, Ally works in a restaurant and she has almost given up on a career in music.

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She sings the aging rocker a song and confides she has never sung her own songs on stage because people in the music industry have told her she is ‘not pretty enough’ to be a star.

The next day Jackson sends his private jet to take her to his next concert.

He persuades Ally to sing her song with him on stage and the performance becomes the springboard for her career and their romance.

Jackson is a gruff musician with a tragic past, while Ally is a vivacious powerhouse who knows how to look after herself.

She cannot believe her luck in attracting the interest of the famous Jackson Maine.

Cooper and Lady Gaga portray their characters with energy and the convincing intimacy of a playfully loving couple.

However the romance sours as Ally’s success mirrors her lover’s descent into alcohol and drug addiction and their characters fall short of any insight into ‘the rise and fall of fame’.

With a running time of more than two hours, the movie outstays its welcome and ends with less emotional weight than was clearly intended.

THE ESSENTIALS

A Star is Born (M)

Directed by: Bradley Cooper

Starring: Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott

Three stars

Review by Lucy Rutherford

In cinemas October 18