The highly anticipated third remake of the classic story, “A Star is Born”, debuted in theaters across America last Friday, Oct. 5. This variation of the story, written, produced, directed and starring Bradley Cooper as the rugged, yet charming, musician Jackson Maine with pop icon Lady Gaga as hopeful-musician Ally.

The film, which is also Gaga’s first step into the cinematic world, debuted onto the number two spot with $42.9 million in the box office, behind “Venom” ($80 million), shocking some after alleged reports that Lady Gaga’s “Little Monsters” had taken to Twitter to try and tear down the latest Marvel spinoff starring Tom Hardy.

Like its predecessors, in Bradley Cooper’s “A Star is Born”, a star in decline seems ready to submit to his addiction when he meets a hidden gem of a talent in a young woman and the two fall in love as the curtains close for our protagonist just as the spotlight begins to shine on the up-and-comer pop star.  

The original 1937 film (Fredric March and Janet Gaynor) and the 1954 version (Judy Garland and James Mason) highlighted the Golden Age of Hollywood’s splendor, with Gaynor and Garland playing the role of aspiring actresses and March and Mason playing the roles of professional performers who take the young Vicki Lester under their arm.

However, the latest interpretation of the film is most closely related to Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson’s 1976 remake, focusing on a rock star in decline falling for the pop star in the making.  

In this latest instillation in the series of remakes, Bradley Cooper creates a loveable protagonist in Jackson Maine, a country singer with a career hanging in the balance as he harbors his heavy drinking problem. But one fateful stop at a drag bar after a gig will lead him to meet Ally, a promising musician making it by with a minimum wage serving job, who captures Jackson’s attention with a sultry rendition of Edith Piaf’s “La Vie En Rose”.

Cooper creates an internal conflict within the audience themselves as we yearn to cheer on rising star Ally, while our hearts are filled with sympathy for Jackson as he spirals deeper and deeper into darkness.

Cooper does an excellent job in translating the pressures of addiction and fame into modern times, with Cooper’s character Jackson Maine reminiscent of the many stars who lost their battle to addiction too soon such as Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse. In addition to the task of directing the film, A Star is Born establishes Bradley Cooper as not only an actor but an artist who understands how to reach into the depths of his character. By training for over a year with country singer Lukas Nelson (yes, Willie’s son) and by studying Sam Elliot’s (who plays Cooper’s older brother in the film) country drawl, Cooper exemplifies dedication to his craft.

The soundtrack was composed by music megastars such as Gaga herself, Lukas Nelson, Mark Ronson and Jason Isbell. The soundtrack is filled with instant hits such as the film’s signature song, “Shallow”, which has held the number one spot on the iTunes chart since it was released one week before the film debuted in theaters.

Whether it be endless amount of possible interpretations or the timelessness of the story, there must be something about the intriguing allure of the storyline of “A Star is Born” that keeps Hollywood wanting to tell it over and over.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

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