Virtuoso debut performances from Lady Gaga (in her first feature film role) and Bradley Cooper (writer-director as well as actor) lift this remake beyond the humdrum into, well, star-making territory. Cooper is a surprisingly competent singer, but it’s Gaga who powers the 3 showstoppers “Shallow”, “Always Remember Us This Way”, and “I’ll Never Love Again”. Expect multiple Oscar nominations.
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Tag Archives: Bradley Cooper
A Star Is Born (2018): bravura remake dives off the deep end
American Hustle (2013, dir. David O. Russell): a lot of fun!
David O Russell is in top form, rejoined by his Silver Linings Playbook principals (Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence), plus further “it” actors of the moment Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner (plus more uncredited cameos). The film dramatizes the ABSCAM FBI sting operation of the late 70s/early 80s which nabbed several corrupt politicians including Congressmen, told from the viewpoint of the small-time conman (a nearly unrecognizable Bale) who was hired to be its brains. Though not as crowd-pleasing as Silver Linings (the characters are not as likeable and more one-dimensional, dialog not quite as sharp, and plot not as simple as a rom com), the movie will surely be a contender for top gongs, and thoroughly deserves its 7 Golden Globe noms so far. A lot of fun!
Silver Linings Playbook (2012, dir. David O. Russell): an exceptionally good rom-com
Contrary to popular opinion, I will willingly watch and enjoy a rom-com if it’s exceptionally good; such a film only comes along once every 2-3 years, and happily this one’s fits the bill 🙂 … A fresh take on the rom-com formula, with sassy Juno or Little Miss Sunshine-like script and dialog, two very appealing leads, and great acting from the whole cast (including Robert De Niro in his best recent role, and Bradley Cooper going from strength to strength), but the standout has to be Jennifer Lawrence’s Oscar-worthy performance. Even included a meta reference to her Hunger Games alter ego via a speech about The Lord of the Flies. Though I have to say we particularly enjoyed Cooper’s diatribe about Ernest Hemingway which invited parallels to the recent disappointments of Julian Fellowes’ Downton Abbey.
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