Review: A Star is Born - A masterclass in directorial debuts

Aoife Mawn tells us why we should be running to the cinema for Bradley Cooper's directorial debut.

With Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga being two of the biggest stars in their own right, Aoife Mawn tells us why their union is nothing but glorious.Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut, a remake of a remake, seemed doomed to fail. Three years ago, after announcing his intention to remake the 1976 rock musical version, starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, he received enough backlash to make even the most thick-skinned filmmaker drop out. Thankfully, he didn’t, and what he has given us is a piece of work that most directors spend their careers trying to achieve.
“As Ally grows more successful, Jack is not jealous of her popularity, but concerned that she is losing what made her a star in the first place.’’
The film centres around the relationship between Jack (Cooper) and Ally (Gaga). Cooper’s portrayal of the alcoholic musician, Jackson Maine, is the quiet powerhouse behind the film’s magic. It is his battle with addiction that forms much of the material, and is the reason he meets Ally in the first place, while she is singing ‘La Vie en Rose’ in a drag bar. She comes alive while performing, lies across the bar, their eyes meet and we get the sense that everything has clicked for them; and also that a star has been born. They spend the night roaming around town talking about their love of music and Jack’s hatred of his fame (which at one point causes Ally to get into a fight with a man in a bar, resulting in a trip to the supermarket where Jack patches her up with duct tape and frozen peas). There is almost a fairy-tale feel to this melancholic moment; Cinderella has lost her shoe and must go back to her ordinary life.
“Cooper’s portrayal of the alcoholic musician, Jackson Maine, is the quiet powerhouse behind the film’s magic.’’'
This doesn’t last long. Their relationship is soon in full swing, and stays that way for the entire film. Cooper and Gaga’s chemistry is exceptional, and incredibly believable. It is the magic of this chemistry that carries the film. They seem genuinely in love, infatuated with each other, and in awe of the others talent. As Ally grows more successful, Jack is not jealous of her popularity, but concerned that she is losing what made her a star in the first place.In a nutshell: To write, direct, co-produce and star in a film, as well as co-compose it’s soundtrack so beautifully, Cooper has come a long way from 2000s rom-coms.