Movie News

Review: “A Star is Born” Shines Bright with Cooper and Gaga

Published

2 years ago

September 28, 2018

We know Lady Gaga can sing, but can she act? We know Bradley Cooper can act, but can he sing as well as direct at the same time? The answer is a booming, earth-shattering yes. They both have what it takes to grab this decades-old retread of the classic rising-star romance tale and turn it into one of the finest films of the year.

Bradley Cooper plays Jackson Maine as a singer-songwriter who can see his life fading. His hearing is going out, his past is regrettable, and he’s drowning in bottles of booze and pills. But then a shining beacon comes into his life, performing at a drag bar of all plays, the lovely Ally (Lady Gaga). She wows him with a stunning voice and fearless trot around the bar while singing Édith Piaf’s timeless tune “La Vie en rose” in an unforgettable performance. Let this scene set the tone for the rest of the movie, echoing a cover of a familiar story, but crafting it into something wonderfully new. Watching Gaga turn heads and delight ears is a treat and, much like Jackson, I wanted more.

And more is most definitely what we get when Jackson convinces Ally after much playful pushing to come up on stage and share her voice with the world. Sure, we already know that Gaga can belt out a new tune like nobody’s business, but her character is one who can’t make that leap because she believes she doesn’t have the face for it. Specifically, she draws attention to her nose and eyebrows, traits that someone as in love as Jackson wouldn’t consider a factor for a singer-songwriter. Agents and publicists may mind, but they are mere hindrances that the two struggle to cast aside. The press may spin them, but we rarely see that side of this story. The focus remains firmly on the two singers who fell for each other and hang on tight as their relationship will weather a storm of jealousy, artificiality, and depression.

While Cooper and Gaga are amazing to watch, it’s especially worth noting the tremendous work of the supporting cast. Sam Elliot plays Jackson’s older brother, thus explaining Cooper’s dead-on Sam Elliot impersonation in his voice, and he displays a range we rarely see. I can recall in last year’s indie drama The Hero that Elliot is far more than a rambling old cowboy and he shows more of that unearthed side here; turning vicious when attacked and swelling to tears when Jackson struggles to make amends. Andrew Dice Clay plays Ally’s father who goes on about Sinatra and seems to be running a small business out of their home that keeps him up all night and his co-workers staying over; there’s a whole other movie in here. And Dave Chapelle casually strolls into a few scenes to remind us all that he has more than just funny bones in his body.

And then there’s the stellar music destined to be earworms. Every song carries a little bit of emotional weight and telling lyrics to be more than just pretty music, which it certainly is as well. The song “Shallow” has been touted as the centerpiece of the film and is played more than once, but it’s such a damn good song that it always kept me enraptured. Gaga’s performances during the stage scenes are some of the best of the film, from her first step on stage with “La Vie en rose” to her tearful closer “I’ll Never Love Again.” And Cooper doesn’t get left behind either, portraying a singer who so casually approaches his musical talent he seems to sometimes barely make it to the microphone. But when he does, he erupts with a power not seen in his previous films.

A Star is Born is best defined by Sam Elliot in one scene where he comments on how all music follows the same formula and it’s up to the artist to repeat it their own way, nothing more. Cooper’s version may be one of the finest of this old tale, editing out all the fluff of the rise and fall of music careers and holding on the more emotional moments worth lingering. I was so entranced by the blooming romance and driving songs that I didn’t even notice the running time well over two hours. This is easily one of the best films of the year, at the very least for the acting and music.

Izzy

Movie Magic: The De-Aging Technique of The Irishman

Published

1 year ago

November 20, 2019

Matt

Have you read Izzy yet? If so, you know that Izzy makes the apples that give the Gods their youth and immortality. It also seems Robert De Niro discovered one of Izzy’s apples too… In Martin Scorsese’s upcoming biographical film, he stars as Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, a labor union leader and alleged hitman for the Bufalino crime family. The trailer for the movie, which will premieres NEXT WEEK (!), also features a “de-aged” De Niro. “We’re so used to watching them as the older faces,” Scorsese said in an interview on the A24 podcast. “Does it change the eyes at all? …If that’s the case, what was in the eyes that I liked? Was it intensity? Was it gravitas? Was it threat?…How do we get that? I don’t know.” Some might consider this magic and I for one can’t wait to see the impact of Izzy’s apples on screen for myself. ????

Movie News

“Captain Marvel” Retains Top Slot at the Box Office

Published

2 years ago

April 17, 2019

Mark McPherson

It’s no surprise that in its second weekend, the first Marvel Cinematic Universe of 2019 is still riding high. Captain Marvel, the latest in the MCU with Brie Larson starring as the lead, generated another $69 million over the weekend, placing its domestic total at $266 million. Tallying up the international box office, the film’s global total to date is $760 million. Despite the online controversy, the film is looking to be another strong box office smash for Disney and Marvel.

As for the premieres for the weekend, and there were plenty, they were all over the map. Just below Captain Marvel was the animated adventure Wonder Park, bringing in $16 million, another film with controversy when the director’s name was removed from the picture after sexual harassment charges. Five Feet Apart, the dying teen drama about a romance amid cystic fibrosis, only came in at #3 with a weekend gross of $13 million. And debuting the lowest in the top 10 for debuts was Captive State, a sci-fi dystopian tale, only making $3 million. The film debuted so low the little film No Manches Frida 2 was able to sneak about it at #6 with a gross of $3.8 million.

Drops were fairly low all around for the returning films, mostly because Captain Marvel was dominating the previous weekend. The only milestone worth noting is that The LEGO Movie 2, after six weeks at the box office, finally cracked $100 million. And the sun is now setting on Green Book’s post-Oscar run by coming in at #10 for the final weekend of its top 10 run over the past few weeks.

View the full top ten weekend box office results below:

Captain Marvel ($69,318,000)

Wonder Park ($16,000,000)

Five Feet Apart ($13,150,000)

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World ($9,345,000)

Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral ($8,085,000)

No Manches Frida 2 ($3,894,000)

Captive State ($3,163,000)

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part ($2,135,000)

Alita: Battle Angel ($1,900,000)

Green Book ($1,277,000)

Next weekend, Captain Marvel may very well have some competition when Jordan Peele’s new horror film Us hits over 3,600 theaters.

Movie News

“Dragon” Continues To Soar, “Funeral” Close Behind, “Green Book” Back

Published

2 years ago

March 11, 2019

Mark McPherson

With little competition for the weekend, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the third in the animated fantasy saga, was able to secure the box office once more. In its second weekend, the animated epic made $30 million to push its domestic total to $97 million. So far the film has done about the same as the previous film and is on track to stay in the top 10 for a few more weeks in March.

Debuts this weekend were small with one big exception. Tyler Perry’s latest Madea film, A Madea Family Funeral, naturally made a relatively big splash with its dedicated audience. Starting at #2, the film made $27 million for its first weekend. No word on the budget yet but it’s most likely on a budget as most Tyler Perry productions are, so it’s safe to call this a success, especially for debuting with a box office so close to Dragon.

The rest of the premieres were not as strong at all. Greta, the new thriller starring Chloe Moretz, debuted all the way down at #8 with $4.5 million box office. To be fair, however, the film was in a constant battle for its spot as three other films also reported earnings around $4 million for the weekend. Of note, Green Book, fresh off winning the Academy Award for Best Picture one weekend ago, splashed back into more theaters to arise even higher in the top 10 with its domestic total now sitting at $73 million. Don’t count on it remaining there long as bigger blockbusters will be swooping as we plow through the last remnants of winter movies.

Check out the full listing of the top 10 box office weekend results below:

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World ($30,046,000)

Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral ($27,050,000)

Alita: Battle Angel ($7,000,000)

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part ($6,615,000)

Green Book ($4,711,000)

Fighting With My Family ($4,691,284)

Isn’t it Romantic ($4,645,000)

Greta ($4,585,000)

What Men Want ($2,700,000)

Happy Death Day 2U ($2,516,000)

Next weekend is once again all about Marvel as their latest superhero solo film, Captain Marvel, will be appearing in 4,100 theaters.