This was a good movie but not a great movie (this will not be a popular opinion). First the good stuff: Lady Gaga was perfect for and in this role - acting singing, chemistry, song writing - all fantastic. The chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Gaga was believable and, at times, breathtaking. The first two thirds of the movie had a great arch and captured us (as a friend, who watched the movie with me, said, "I could watch the first part of this movie on repeat.") I am also a big fan of about 5 of the songs, and would add them to my library without hesitation, they are beautifully written. Now, the not so good stuff: the last third of the movie was too long - it could easily be cut by 20 minutes, but Bradley Cooper, as director, was more than a little self indulgent with his own scenes (we got the struggle, drawing it out didn't serve the storytelling). Ally's character arch was disappointing. As her star rose she didn't learn to love what Jack saw in her. She didn't learn to take ownership of her own story, the very gift Jack was trying to give her. Ally's story wasn't resolved until the very last moments of the movie, it was eclipsed by Bradley's directorial obsession with Jack's decline, belying the original premise of all the STAR IS BORN movies and lessening her triumph. I guess what moved it from great to good, for me, was that the first two thirds proved it could be great but the last third got hijacked (no pun intended). I give this film a 7 (good) out of 10. [Music-centric Romantic Drama]

I finally watched **A Star Is Born**, and boy... was I just blown away. This film is a literal whirlwind of emotions culminating in one truly tragic ending. I was hyped for this movie for months, and it definitely lived up to expectations (even exceeded them). I was totally floored by the performances of Lady Gaga and especially Bradley Cooper who completely disappears into his role of Jackson Maine (in a good way). The soundtrack to this movie is just spectacular with some of the best ballads that I've heard in a long time in both "Shallow" and "I'll Never Love Again". That first scene where Gaga and Cooper perform together on stage is just a revelation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo_efYhYU2A While this is a story that has been done many times (literally, this is the 4th remake), Cooper's version is just masterfully built and developed amazingly well even though it does run a bit long. It was over 2 hours long (135 mins), but at times I actually wish that it could have been longer due to how much I connected with the characters. It's a true "modern take" on a classic tale. And definitely prepare to cry as well. My god, the last 20 minutes of the movie were just... beyond brutal. If you've ever dealt with or really known/loved someone with addiction and/or depression problems, this movie hits so close to home that it is scary. **A Star Is Born** is an instant classic and a definite Oscar favorite in multiple categories. If you told me that in 2018 the guy who played Sack in Wedding Crashers 13 years ago would direct and star in an emotional and moving film like this, I'd call you crazy. I'm definitely going to watch this again, but those last 15 minutes of the movie truly were gut-wrenching. Maybe I'll just stick with listening to the soundtrack over and over again... :P

Most remakes don’t live up to the original. But certainly this one surpasses all the previous ones. Proof of it, it’s the fact that I have never been able to watch a musical without walking out until l watched this movie. The movie shows how much Lady Gaga has grown as an artist, probably becoming the best and most versatile voices of the XXI yet. She is able to reinvent herself every other day in a way very few artists throughout history have been to do it. I was not a “fan” of her. She made me curious when I heard her duets with Tony Bennett, but now after seeing her ”natural looks” and the way she is able to sing and act, **she has finally won me over**. I would advise not passing on either the movie or original sound track.

I don't get all the hype for this movie. Sure, the music is great, the acting and the chemistry between the leads are good, but the story itself is nothing special. It draged for a while and I was a bit bored. The most exciting moment for me was Brandi Carlile's cameo.

Spoilers ahead!! You've been warned! Nope. Nope. Nope. Just no all around. How did so many people like this movie? It's terribly formulaic and unoriginal. And God, I just can't with the instalove. Like 16 year old me was all about that, but c'mon. He was an overbearing, pushy drunk. I don't believe she would've ever given him the time of day if he hadn't been famous. Also, if not for the fame and musical talent, why would you ever insert yourself into the life of a broken, deeply messed up person struggling with serious addiction issues? All of his bad qualities were plain visible for everyone to see from the get go. What would even make you want to spend more time with someone like that so you could get to know them? Hated the plot (I was actually rooting for him to die at the end so the movie would be infinitesimally more interesting, even though SUPER PREDICTABLE still), I would not for the life of me be able to tell anyone how much time went by from when they met to the end. The timing was just plain wrong and confusing. The chemistry was there, the acting was ok, although I was already sick and tired of the drunk/drugged act by the middle of the movie. And the singing and songs were good, too. But the story? Beyond lame. Just plain bad Just think about the underlying messages of this movie: If you bug and pressure a woman enough a no will turn into a yes. Whether it's a drink, skipping work to fly to a show, sing on stage while not really prepared, change her personal appearance and creative style... All to appease the men around her. And also, no matter how much he loves you, he won't be able to deal with your success and will use it as another excuse to keep spiriling down. (Ally didn't even have a last name for crying out loud! That's how unimportant she was compared to Jack's character) That's messed up. Think about it.