FILM REVIEW: A Star Is Born

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga

Despite all the hype about Lady Gaga's singing and Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, the true stars of A Star Is Born are those old favorites, Drugs and Alcohol. The very first scene features them and they reign throughout the film, ultimately killing off our hero. As usual the crowds love them, and thus far the film has grossed many, many millions at the box office since its release in early October.

Surely it's a great yarn, so great in fact it's been told on screen three times before: The doomed love affair between a rising star and one about to burn out. Even though we've heard it or seen it already, this latest version seems brand new, without a single stale or hackneyed moment. Great acting by just about everyone, authentic concert footage of screaming fans and memorable music make it a standout, equal in impact to the 1954 version starring Judy Garland and James Mason, a hallmark in film history.

Still, in the end it's depressing, and not just in the end but pretty much all the way through. Drug addiction and alcohol abuse are simply not fun topics no matter how much you dress them up. Anyway, I smell an Oscar or two (probably more), so if you want to be in on all the buzz, go see it.