A Star is Born

A Star is Born tells the tale of Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook) at the twilight of his career, when per chance he meets Ally (Lady Gaga – American Horror Story), a struggling artist whose potential is yet to be realised. As Jackson takes Ally under his wings, a romance between the two slowly takes shape and ultimately, will shape the rest of their lives.

Bradley Cooper makes a solid directorial debut with this classical love story but gives it a contemporary re-telling, without losing the intimacy that its predecessors possessed. He more than proves his directing chops, but also delivers a performance that will have your heart breaking over and over again. Lady Gaga, in her first leading role in a major motion picture, gives an insanely electrifying performance as Ally, drawing the audience in every single scene; whether she’s performing in a small drag-bar, or stepping onto a concert stage for the first time or having a drink with Jackson, she makes it easy to fall in love with Ally in the way Jackson does.

And last, but certainly not least, the main attraction: the music. Music is deeply engrained into the story not solely by virtue of Jackson and Ally’s profession but succeeds in reflecting the characters’ journey throughout the movie. ‘Hair Body Face’ will be a nice throwback to the early days of Lady Gaga’s career, just as Ally’s gets hers started. Showstoppers like ‘Shallow’ will have you mulling over the highs and lows that come with falling head-first into love and ‘Music to My Eyes’ will leave you swooning over Bradley’s and Lady Gaga’s harmonies and humming a happy tune on the walk home. A Star is Born is by all accounts, one of the must-see films of the year.

Laman Ahmed