Issue No. 28 – Control

What is the nature of control? The desire for it—and to be free of it—are essential parts of both life and art.

Film Review: A Star Is Born (2018)

Film Review: A Star Is Born (2018)

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

By Pharrah Kougias

Trauma is a permanent scar passed down through generations. A parent’s fall into alcoholism brews the backstory of the endless HURRAH fueling the tour bus after parties, bringing it back to the hotel room, waking a hangover, pop a pill, hop back on the road, bearing your soul for thousands of strangers, and the psychological spin of a whirlpool churning for the next round like a favorite song on repeat.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

“Music is essentially 12 notes between any octave. 12 notes and the octave repeats. It’s the same story going over and over. All any artist can offer the world, is how they sing those 12 notes” croons Sam Elliott justifying the repetitive nature of trauma, art as a coping mechanism, and its message to the world.

This fourth adaptation of the timeless tale skyrockets the tragedy of love and rock & roll.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Jackson Maine’s (Bradley Cooper) career is heading toward the “Greatest Hits Collection”. Stumbling into a drag bar after a gig, he is transfixed by Ally (Lady Gaga) who belts out “La Vie en rose” crawling across the bar like an operatic version of Coyote Ugly. They go out for a drink, Ally punches an obnoxious drunken fan, and they end up in a grocery parking lot writing a song after Jackson opens up to Ally about his father’s death. From there they go on our tour. As Ally’s fame rises, Jackson succumbs to his addictions.

Cooper’s grand entrance, swirled through a bottle of prescription pills washed down with booze, stumbles onto a stage for thousands of fans. Utilizing a wide lens, captures the power an individual has over a group, while the “fish bowl” framing edges a subtle psychedelic trip  alluding instability over one’s mental health.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Bradley Cooper plays his part as burned out Zeppelin-Skynyrd-esque rocker whose career has plateaued due to shifting interests and his struggles with addiction. Gone is Cooper’s heartthrob aura hidden underneath a rough western accent and greasy hair, but still charms since he is head over heels for Ally. Even when their relationship hits a bump in the road, his insecurities of his plummeting career are not backlashed towards Ally, rather as encouragement for her artistic expression.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Lady Gaga cements her acting chops in this performance after a Golden Globe winning performance in American Horror Story: Hotel. Gaga transforms herself into Ally’s fluid life taking a walk on the wild side while holding down the fort when the shit hits the fan.  From the get go, Ally is the head of her home taking care of her father (Andrew Dice Clay). Often Jackson’s drinking buddy, she demands him to stay away from the wheel when intoxicated. Even when her partner embarrasses her before the world, Ally’s anger settles into open armed lessons wrapped in her love and care for Jackson. Struggling with the insecurity of her image, Ally strives and succeeds and proves the industry wrong with her talent.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Sam Elliott throws in a punch to the tear ducts when he confronts his younger brother, Jackson, and how even through the fiery pits of hell,  he is only a phone call away. Bobby’s (Elliott) trauma dwells in his paternal instincts for his troubled brother. Dave Chappelle pops in as Jackson’s wake up call and sprinkles in light humor during his dramatic monologue.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

At the heart of the story is the banging soundtrack. Cock rock, piano ballads, and bubblegum pop shake together for an ultimate shot of blissful fun. Why Did You Do That is the black sheep of the track-list with it’s thumping nod to trap music and promiscuous lyrics. “Why’d you come around me with an ass like that?” is destined to be a club hit. After each song finished, the thin silver screen erupts an applause as a crowd would rave at a live performance.

Visually appetizing, the images encapsulate the early editions of Rolling Stone while mixing in a modern flare. A framed Tapestry by Carole King hangs on her bedroom wall (a definite influence on the piano). Red and green stage lights flash the graininess of 16mm footage of Woodstock.  Societal awareness sneaks into the film with a billboard of a Gay Pride Flag with nooses dangled before it, a western desert strewn of wind turbines, and an opioid induced performance for a pharmacy conference.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

During the climax of Shallow, the films showstopper, a lens flare circles Gaga and Cooper silhouetting the bond that brings them together. Later, when Cooper is passed out in the hotel bed and Gaga waits for him to wake up, a circular headboard hovers over them. Their lives are circled in for one another, but their journey is a bouncing ball without a course. With each bounce could be the last. Highs and lows.

“All you gotta do is trust me” Jackson reminds Ally surfacing from rock bottom after a traumatic shipwreck. Witnessing the lives of these star crossed lovers is the ultimate backstage pass though the admission price charges an emotional toll of the battles our loved ones must face every day.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Watch the trailer here

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