A Star Is Born (Bradley Cooper, 2018)

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Persona · #51 Post by **Persona** » Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:13 pm

I don't want to be close-minded on this film but I'm also kind of already dreading a Bradley Cooper remake dominating year-end critical accolades when 2018 has yielded so many excellent original films (and seems to be just getting started).

knives · #52 Post by **knives** » Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:27 pm

In all likelihood one of the songs will win and Gaga might as well otherwise it will be this year's Dreamgirls. For a variety of reasons I'd place First Man as the likely awards leader.

#53 Post by **mfunk9786** » Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:33 pm

If Beale Street Could Talk is the best trailer I've seen so far this year and this is one of the worst, so of course this will win 9 Oscars

Brian C · #54 Post by **Brian C** » Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:35 pm

Maybe this is just actually really good.

The trailer doesn’t do a whole lot for me, but I do think it’s interesting that the lyrics to Cooper’s song start with “Maybe it’s time to let the old ways die...” That seems like a pretty subversive thing to put into the mouth of a popular country singer these days; it’s basically 100% the opposite of what you’d hear on modern country radio.

Persona · #55 Post by **Persona** » Wed Aug 29, 2018 6:06 pm

mfunk9786 wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:33 pm If Beale Street Could Talk is the best trailer I've seen so far this year and this is one of the worst, so of course this will win 9 Oscars

Haha, yeah.

But it'd be cool if this is good. I'm always down for more good movies.

Omensetter · #56 Post by **Omensetter** » Wed Aug 29, 2018 10:01 pm

Yes, good movies are good and generally preferable to bad movies, which are bad.

It's worth mentioning that Peter Bradshaw basically likes everything---all the moreso if he can stick his neck out first in a bid for relevance. I remember him slapping a perfect score on Haneke's Happy End during Cannes 2017, briefly causing the scattered several who care about this sort of thing to ponder a third Palme for Haneke.

The buzz on Cooper's film has been solid across the year, but I don't recall it being Major Auteur buzz; it always seemed more along the lines of TIFF Audience Award winner buzz.

jbeall · #57 Post by **jbeall** » Thu Aug 30, 2018 12:15 am

Brian C wrote: Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:35 pm Maybe this is just actually really good.

The trailer doesn’t do a whole lot for me, but I do think it’s interesting that the lyrics to Cooper’s song start with “Maybe it’s time to let the old ways die...” That seems like a pretty subversive thing to put into the mouth of a popular country singer these days; it’s basically 100% the opposite of what you’d hear on modern country radio.

"Mama wants to change that Nashville sound / But they're never gonna let her"

There are some "alt-country" musicians, including Isbell (who wrote that lyric you reference, Brian), Amanda Shires, and Sturgill Simpson, who have adopted a rather adversarial posture toward modern country music and its tropes. In the song "White Man's World", linked above, Isbell puts the line "the times ain't forgotten" to ironic use. I have no idea whether or Cooper's film is being subversive or a faithful-but-updated-remake, but I think it's safe to say some of the musicians involved are making a meta-commentary on contemporary country.

#58 Post by **domino harvey** » Fri Aug 31, 2018 9:36 pm

Eight minute standing ovation at Venice, and that's even with the screening being interrupted by lightning striking the auditorium halfway through. Not even God can stop this movie

Spoiler for this version and 1937/1954 versions

Also, just like in the first couple A Star is Borns, Cooper's character kills himself in this too, which will probably make it even more relevant and zeitgeist-y for audiences given all the recent high-profile celeb suicides

McCrutchy · #59 Post by **McCrutchy** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 1:11 am

Count me as another who doesn't understand the hype for this given the trailer, but I will say that, if Bradley Cooper actually directed Dave Chappelle to a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination, I would definitely see this film.

jbeall · #60 Post by **jbeall** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 5:21 am

The early reviews are largely positive

Lost Highway · #61 Post by **Lost Highway** » Sat Sep 01, 2018 12:38 pm

So it looks like three out of four versions of A Star s Born are good films.

#62 Post by **domino harvey** » Sun Sep 16, 2018 6:13 pm

Neko Case has thoughts on the trailer

Big Ben · #63 Post by **Big Ben** » Sun Sep 16, 2018 11:12 pm

He wrote and performed some of the songs he sings in the film so he doesn't strike me as an interloper here. No true Scotsman is a hell of thing.

tenia · #64 Post by **tenia** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 10:33 am

So, am I understanding correctly that she's ranting about it because Cooper is singing in a musical movie but is not a professionnal singer ?

Brian C · #65 Post by **Brian C** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:27 pm

I don’t have any idea what that means. I think maybe she just doesn’t like Bradley Cooper.

tenia · #66 Post by **tenia** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:36 pm

It does seem like there is something deeper behind that, but maybe that's indeed just it.

#67 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 2:39 pm

I'm pretty sure no one knows what it means

rawlinson · #68 Post by **rawlinson** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:07 pm

Isn't she just saying Cooper is a very bland and boring performer who's somehow managed to convince people he's doing something more profound than he is?

Roscoe · #69 Post by **Roscoe** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:16 pm

rawlinson wrote: Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:07 pm Isn't she just saying Cooper is a very bland and boring performer who's somehow managed to convince people he's doing something more profound than he is?

Pretty much. Can't imagine anyone finding anything he's done profound, though -- he's a fully competent actor and very appealing leading man, and that's fine by me. I haven't gone out of my way to see his work, but I wouldn't avoid it on the basis of his participation, either.

#70 Post by **mfunk9786** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:20 pm

Also, as is usually the case with these things, I'm sure he'd be the first person to agree with her. I'm not sure why there is always an implicit assumption that all of these people think incredibly highly of themselves. They're often quite normal people with incredibly front-facing careers, are they supposed to hide under a rock because they've found success and not make any more art? But Neko Case shouldn't?

rawlinson · #71 Post by **rawlinson** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:33 pm

Roscoe wrote: Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:16 pm
rawlinson wrote: Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:07 pm Isn't she just saying Cooper is a very bland and boring performer who's somehow managed to convince people he's doing something more profound than he is?
Pretty much. Can't imagine anyone finding anything he's done profound, though -- he's a fully competent actor and very appealing leading man, and that's fine by me. I haven't gone out of my way to see his work, but I wouldn't avoid it on the basis of his participation, either.

Profound was probably the wrong choice of words. The criticism is probably more about the general level of acclaim Cooper receives - three Oscar nominations so far and likely to pick up a few more next year. I have no major problem with him myself but I wouldn't argue with the idea he's a bland actor.

I think though that she's just offering an opinion and because she's an artist herself her opinion gets more attention than it otherwise would. It's more unusual.

Brian C · #72 Post by **Brian C** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 3:33 pm

rawlinson wrote:Isn't she just saying Cooper is a very bland and boring performer who's somehow managed to convince people he's doing something more profound than he is?

Self-projection on her part, then?

[stands back]

[after all, she will fight me...]

hearthesilence · #73 Post by **hearthesilence** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 4:04 pm

Damn, not a Neko Case fan?

Love her stuff with the New Pornographers, and for my money she's got at least three great solo albums.

#74 Post by **domino harvey** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 4:07 pm

From reading her further comments, whatever her initial tweet means was probably said tongue-in-cheek. But it can't possibly surprise many here that a musician would hear the songs in the trailer and immediately start rolling their eyes?

#75 Post by **cdnchris** » Mon Sep 17, 2018 4:23 pm

domino harvey wrote:I'm pretty sure no one knows what it means

Oh good. I really thought I was just stupid (but that of course could still be the case).

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