Z I L L A

Sorry this is LONG and HAS SOME SPOILERS SO DON’T READ IF YOU DIDN’T SEE THE MOVIE

I just saw A Star Is Born today and there’s so many emotions running through my head that I need to type out how I felt before I lost it.

I guess the first thing to note is that the theater i was in, was mostly older people. Some teens, but mostly older people. I don’t know their motives as to why they were seeing it, but I did my research beforehand. I listened to everything since the casting. The interviews, avoided the spoilers and reviews/easter eggs, only got the soundtrack the night before and barely listened, but I felt ready. I was probably the only die hard Gaga fan in the theater. I knew what she was capable of, but I don’t think everyone else was ready.

First off, Bradley Cooper is phenomenal. I really dug his cinematography and storytelling, I’ll touch on that more a bit later.. I also appreciated how he learned to play guitar and even wrote some musical material. You knew it was Bradley, but for a second you truly forgot that he was playing Jackson Maine because his cinematography and acting skill made it feel so real. I’ll talk about Gaga in a minute too, give it time!

I really liked how there were a few things in the movie that monsters knew about that the general public didn’t particularly know, like the photos in Ally’s house in the movie were Gaga’s real pictures, like the one in the hallway of her dancing when she was like 5 that she posted before or showed up in a magazine. I believe the wedding picture was her grandparents? Not sure but I remember seeing it before. I also appreciated seeing familiar faces, like Richy Jackson, Natali, Sarah and Freddie. I really like how Bradley came from the movie background and Gaga came from the music background, and they meshed well and it wasn’t awkward. Like for example, Gaga just wasn’t transplanted into this background, she brought along her friends for the ride in collaboration, and it felt like a joint mutual effort. I also LOVE how Willam and Shangela/ drag culture were/was in the movie as well, I took that as a homage from Gaga’s early days in the LES and us as a fan culture, and to show how talented these girls really are. I appreciated the authenticity as a fan. I also appreciated Ally’s dad in the movie because it’s exactly how Gaga was raised in real life, and I also took notice of how Ally’s demons were Gaga’s when she was just starting out, as monsters we remember. Let’s not forget also that Bradley’s dog was the dog in the film. Same name, same fluff.

I loved the music in the film. The musical numbers didn’t feel forced, like sometimes you watch musicals and you know when a song is coming, but I was so enamored with the story it wasn’t like that here. Bradley said he wasn’t a singer but he sounded AMAZING in this, all dark, deep and raspy. I really loved the way he filmed the live concert scenes too, like you felt like you were there as the cameras weren’t stationary and the lighting and closeups added depth.

Gaga was amazing, I thought I would have a hard time like deciphering Ally from Gaga, but it was fairly easy. Her acting was great, I mean if you were around for a long time you knew she was theatrical but this is a whole other level. This opens so many more doors for her, I’m so proud.

As for the plot, we knew what it was already because of the movies before it but this is honestly a movie the world needs right now, at least the last hour of the film. Addiction is a major problem in this country, and it was important to point out that at one part in the movie, after a certain incident, that Ally told Jackson “it’s not your fault”. So many people are turning to drugs and alcohol these days, that stuff changes people, it was important that that was said.

The last maybe 45 minutes of the film are the most powerful 45 minutes in film that I have seen in a long ass time. The way that Bradley directed this scene was just so gut wrenching because you knew what was happening, but the scene was so quiet you could cut it with a knife, even in the theater, nobody was even rustling their popcorn bags. Bradley said everything that needed to be said in that moment, it felt like it was just you and Bradley in that moment, and everyone was latching on to every word, every action, every sound, every image.

The last song, “I’ll Never Love Again”, was the defining moment of the movie for me. I was already overwhelmed because of everything that happened prior, but just hearing her sing this song, made everyone cry. I started hearing some sniffles, and people trying to grab tissues. For me, it was like I’ve been seeing Gaga perform for years, but seeing her perform in that capacity was mind blowing. I had a million thoughts running through my head, like “she is amazing, she’s nailing it, she sounds perfect, I hope other people are noticing it, omg wait is this the song she sang when Sonja died, omg this IS the song that she was singing the day Sonja died” and I just lost it. I felt her emotion in that scene, and I was literally chewing on my sweatshirt sleeve trying to keep it together. I couldn’t, I was bawling my fucking eyes out.