I can't stop thinking about "A Star Is Born." Why cast Lady Gaga? Her acting win for "American Horror Story," at the Golden Globes, was widely criticized. People feel she can't act. In the sort-of-ignored Gaga Netflix documentary, you see how uncomfortable Gaga is on the "Roanoke" set. So why have her return to drama? (In her Globes speech, Gaga did indicate that she wanted to be an actor before she wanted to be a singer, and this does seem to be a trend among artists. The misguided early longing. Lorrie Moore wanted to be a dancer. Joni Mitchell wanted to be a painter.)
What if the main performer in this movie had been Cynthia Erivo--a musical theater powerhouse with charisma and an undeniable ability to get inside a character? You might sell fewer tickets, but might you find yourself making a better movie?
It seems evident to me from the "Star Is Born" trailer that Gaga has not learned to act since "American Horror Story." She seems to have the line floating around in her brain before she delivers it; there isn't a sense of spontaneity. When Bradley Cooper assures her of her attractiveness, she gives an "aw shucks" look that seems more appropriate for a Mickey Mouse Club Sunday morning movie. Am I being too harsh? I once predicted, after watching two hours of "Ellen," that that wacky new daytime talk show would prove to be a TOTAL FAILURE.
Mr. Cooper isn't one for subtlety, and the lyrics we hear throughout the "Star" trailer tell us a great deal about the story we're going to get. "Maybe it's time to let the old ways die. Takes a lot to change a man; hell, it takes a lot to try." We learn that Mr. Cooper's character is--in fact--wrestling with the possibility of change. His career is drying up. He is like the speaker in ABBA's "Super Trouper": "I was sick and tired of everything....when I called you last night from Glasgow....All I do is eat and sleep and sing....wishing every show was the last show....."
Into this stale life comes some raw talent. That's Lady Gaga's character. Mr. Cooper will make her a star! But she feels she isn't pretty enough! She isn't blonde enough to be a star! The power of Mr. Cooper's love sends her onto the stage--and we get the big climax of the trailer, which is, of course, Lady Gaga's singing voice. This is what you have paid the admission fee for. And it's not disappointing. It's big and unnerving. The lyrics tell us more about what to expect from the plot. "I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in," sings Lady Gaga, and her chutzpah overshadows the blandness of her lyrics (and that's also a main feature of Lady Gaga's recording career, FYI). "I'll never hit (meet?) the ground. We're far from the shallows now." Aquatic metaphors for the future of the Gaga/Bradley Cooper relationship. As these trite words overwhelm us, quick images of Cooper and Gaga in various dramatic poses (some of them signaling distress?) flash by, and by, and by.
Will one star save the other? Will one eclipse the other? Will both quickly burn out? We need to know. And so the trailer has done its job.
A few extra notes:
-The Lady Gaga lyrics seem most directly related to the (already-boring) lyrics we encounter in "Edge of Glory." "I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you." "I'm off the deep end; watch as I dive in; I'll never hit the ground." Did someone assist Gaga with her poetic duties? Was the possibility of assistance at least considered?
-It's strange when a compelling actor is paired with someone who can't really act. Bradley Cooper, a reasonably skilled performer, must do the heavy lifting for both the Cooper character and the Lady Gaga character--in almost every scene. This happened with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, as well. And I'll bet it will happen in "A Simple Favor," when the gifted Anna Kendrick is attached to the less-gifted Blake Lively. Glenn Close and Alan Rickman have said that it's the role--not the actor--that wins the major awards. In other words, you could be an amoeba thrown into Norma Desmond's shoes--and though you obviously have creative limitations, you're still going to get major Oscar buzz. But I don't fully buy this. Really great actors just seem to endow their characters with deep inner lives--by instinct. Imagine "Sharp Objects" with a star less thoughtful than Amy Adams. Wouldn't you get bored?
-Whatever happens with the actual performance, I do think this movie is a smart move for Gaga. The interest in songwriting seems to have dried up. (And this world seems especially punishing for women in pop culture, after the age of thirty. If you're Carole King, with a real interest in writing, you might just start writing for other, younger, performers. I imagine this will happen to Taylor Swift; I don't imagine it will happen to Lady Gaga.) ....A blazing talent, Kristin Chenoweth, has said, "There are no rules." So: you simply have to take the force of your own personality and do what you can, for as long as you can. You can do some Broadway; you can start a publishing imprint; you can design some shoes. I don't have the concern about Lady Gaga that I have about Katy Perry; I have a suspicion Lady Gaga will stick around, whereas Katy Perry will not. But I'm not sure "A Star Is Born" will be a smashing success. What do you think? Do you see Hollywood years in Gaga's future? Do you see an ABBA tribute album? A clothing line? ...View the trailer...below...
https://www.google.com/search?q=a+star+is+born+trailer&oq=a+star+is+born+trailer&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i61l2j0l3.2373j1j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
What if the main performer in this movie had been Cynthia Erivo--a musical theater powerhouse with charisma and an undeniable ability to get inside a character? You might sell fewer tickets, but might you find yourself making a better movie?
It seems evident to me from the "Star Is Born" trailer that Gaga has not learned to act since "American Horror Story." She seems to have the line floating around in her brain before she delivers it; there isn't a sense of spontaneity. When Bradley Cooper assures her of her attractiveness, she gives an "aw shucks" look that seems more appropriate for a Mickey Mouse Club Sunday morning movie. Am I being too harsh? I once predicted, after watching two hours of "Ellen," that that wacky new daytime talk show would prove to be a TOTAL FAILURE.
Mr. Cooper isn't one for subtlety, and the lyrics we hear throughout the "Star" trailer tell us a great deal about the story we're going to get. "Maybe it's time to let the old ways die. Takes a lot to change a man; hell, it takes a lot to try." We learn that Mr. Cooper's character is--in fact--wrestling with the possibility of change. His career is drying up. He is like the speaker in ABBA's "Super Trouper": "I was sick and tired of everything....when I called you last night from Glasgow....All I do is eat and sleep and sing....wishing every show was the last show....."
Into this stale life comes some raw talent. That's Lady Gaga's character. Mr. Cooper will make her a star! But she feels she isn't pretty enough! She isn't blonde enough to be a star! The power of Mr. Cooper's love sends her onto the stage--and we get the big climax of the trailer, which is, of course, Lady Gaga's singing voice. This is what you have paid the admission fee for. And it's not disappointing. It's big and unnerving. The lyrics tell us more about what to expect from the plot. "I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in," sings Lady Gaga, and her chutzpah overshadows the blandness of her lyrics (and that's also a main feature of Lady Gaga's recording career, FYI). "I'll never hit (meet?) the ground. We're far from the shallows now." Aquatic metaphors for the future of the Gaga/Bradley Cooper relationship. As these trite words overwhelm us, quick images of Cooper and Gaga in various dramatic poses (some of them signaling distress?) flash by, and by, and by.
Will one star save the other? Will one eclipse the other? Will both quickly burn out? We need to know. And so the trailer has done its job.
A few extra notes:
-The Lady Gaga lyrics seem most directly related to the (already-boring) lyrics we encounter in "Edge of Glory." "I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you." "I'm off the deep end; watch as I dive in; I'll never hit the ground." Did someone assist Gaga with her poetic duties? Was the possibility of assistance at least considered?
-It's strange when a compelling actor is paired with someone who can't really act. Bradley Cooper, a reasonably skilled performer, must do the heavy lifting for both the Cooper character and the Lady Gaga character--in almost every scene. This happened with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, as well. And I'll bet it will happen in "A Simple Favor," when the gifted Anna Kendrick is attached to the less-gifted Blake Lively. Glenn Close and Alan Rickman have said that it's the role--not the actor--that wins the major awards. In other words, you could be an amoeba thrown into Norma Desmond's shoes--and though you obviously have creative limitations, you're still going to get major Oscar buzz. But I don't fully buy this. Really great actors just seem to endow their characters with deep inner lives--by instinct. Imagine "Sharp Objects" with a star less thoughtful than Amy Adams. Wouldn't you get bored?
-Whatever happens with the actual performance, I do think this movie is a smart move for Gaga. The interest in songwriting seems to have dried up. (And this world seems especially punishing for women in pop culture, after the age of thirty. If you're Carole King, with a real interest in writing, you might just start writing for other, younger, performers. I imagine this will happen to Taylor Swift; I don't imagine it will happen to Lady Gaga.) ....A blazing talent, Kristin Chenoweth, has said, "There are no rules." So: you simply have to take the force of your own personality and do what you can, for as long as you can. You can do some Broadway; you can start a publishing imprint; you can design some shoes. I don't have the concern about Lady Gaga that I have about Katy Perry; I have a suspicion Lady Gaga will stick around, whereas Katy Perry will not. But I'm not sure "A Star Is Born" will be a smashing success. What do you think? Do you see Hollywood years in Gaga's future? Do you see an ABBA tribute album? A clothing line? ...View the trailer...below...
https://www.google.com/search?q=a+star+is+born+trailer&oq=a+star+is+born+trailer&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i61l2j0l3.2373j1j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
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