A Star Is Born (2018)

A famous musician Jackson Main (Bradley Cooper) boozes his way through a concert and rides to a local bar to have...what else booze. He sees a fantastic performance by Ally (Lady Gaga) in drag and the next segment of A STAR IS BORN is the best as Ally is raw and Main confesses what it takes to be a good musician, you tell them what you want to say. Ally sings "Shallow" which is the best number in the whole film. Lady Gaga belts it out on stage and it is moving. Jackson Main has this deep voice which he stole from his brother. His pa was a drinker and died when Jackson was young. His ma died at his birth and this really torments the singer inside since he had no one to idolize, although it is kewl how he tells us who he really idolized near the end of the film. Cooper really digs inside and puts on an award-worthy performance. The character haunted me for a few days and I usually do not let fiction get under my skin. As the film winds down we find Jackson feeling out of place in the music world as he watches his now wife, the star from the movie's title, become more of a pop star than a singer, superficial than real and Main isn't sure how to live with it all in the way he would want to. We see him in rehab talking about how he tried to kill himself. There was so much more that could have been drawn out of him and out of the story at this point but the movie can only last so long. By the way Dave Chapelle shows up and delivers a wonderful line. [4.2 stars]