A Star Is Born

It feels silly to even qualify this one. LADY GAGA. BRADLEY COOPER (who can sing and direct, apparently). You don’t even need to have any info about the plot to know that this a priority must-see. But, in case you’re wondering, it’s also based on one of the most iconic (and beloved) movie musicals of the 20th century (it’s been re-made a bunch of times, but none was better than the Judy Garland-helmed version) and in addition to all the Gaga-Cooper creative brilliance, the screenplay is also co-written by Eric Roth, the Oscar-winning screenwriter who once compared life to a box of chocolates in Forest Gump (he modified the novel’s original — and far less quotable — line, “Being an idiot is no box of chocolates”)

Lady Gaga clearly is (and has been for a very long time) a fantastic singer, and has made massive strides as an actor as well, but I _really_ did not enjoy this. Bradley Cooper has clearly been studying at the Jeff Bridges' School of Being Completely Fucking Incomprehensible for this one. Maybe he was just trying to lend some believebility to the idea that he and Sam Elliot were brothers, I don't know (If that is the case, it failed miserably). Which I mean, whatever, it's his movie, he do that character whichever way he wants, but I don't appreciate it myself. Honestly the only thing in this, the fourth iteration of _A Star Is Born_ that I **did** appreciate at all was the first 15 minutes and the last 15 minutes. I didn't love those segments by any stretch, but I liked them at least partly. Not so for what came in between. I can definitely support _A Star is Born's_ two audio-related Oscars, and maybe, _maybe_ even see my way to understanding the Best Actress nomination for Gaga, but beyond that, I don't follow the logic at all. _Final rating:★★ - Had some things that appeal to me, but a poor finished product._