A Star is Born - Barney's Incorrect Five Second Reviews
Very emotional and impactful movie. No wonder there are mental health trigger warnings all over this thing. I would even go so far to say that I don't think I could comfortably describe this as a "music movie."
That being said, I don't remember the last time I've seen a movie so perfectly suited to not only be nominated but to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. I thought it was excellent but I wouldn't even put this in my top ten of the year. I think the Academy will be all over this one.
Speaking of which, I don't see how Bradley Cooper cannot win Best Actor for this. He's absolutely transformative in the role. When you see stills of the movie (like the thumbnail), sure you can probably think, "yeah that's Bradley Cooper right there," but when you have Jack standing in front of you on the big screen, it's REALLY hard to think of this person as either Bradley Cooper or any other character he's ever played. He's become quite the actor. I don't know how he mastered that accent either other than spending months living with Sam Elliott.
There are a couple of back-to-back scenes up near the final act which are just HUGE dramatic scenes and acted to perfection. One where Ally visits Jack in rehab, and the other where Jack gets dropped off at home by his brother. I was slammed into the back of my theatre seat quite soundly by those scenes. Bradley Cooper was incredible.
Apart from that, the music is phenomenal. The first live performance of Shallow is incredible as are many of the other songs. This is where Lady Gaga really comes to shine and I'd be remiss if I didn't say that she was quite impressive in many ways in this.
I think the only thing I feel bitter about is that the way the ending came about seemed a little rushed, and I didn't want the movie to end anytime soon. Which ultimately is a good thing to feel about a movie you're watching. Those drag queens were a total blast too.
I can't wait for Kevin Hart to announce Cooper and Gaga performing one of the songs together at the Oscars.
I'm curious if I could get through this movie again. I want to, but I bet it would be a rough ride the 2nd time through. Really loved it.