Reel Corner - November 2018

Fall Preview

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I can’t stop talking about the latest
film version of A Star Is Born.


Here are some facts you should know about the movie:
1) Bradley Cooper directed this movie and is also one of the producers. This is actually his directorial debut.

2) Cooper also wrote the screenplay with Will Fetters and Eric Roth.

3) The movie is a remake of the 1937 film of the same name with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, remade in 1954 with Judy Garland and James Mason, and again in 1976 with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson.

4) What happens when a woman’s career ascends just as her romantic partner stumbles into professional decline? And just how far can a woman go without losing herself? Cooper brings that conversation into the modern age with his renewed A Star is Born.

5) Casting is superb: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle, and Sam Elliott.

6) The fourth version of A Star is Born was initially slated to film in 2011 with Clint Eastwood attached to direct and Beyoncé set to star. The film languished in development for several years with various actors, including Christian Bale, Leonardo DiCaprio, Will Smith, and Tom Cruise approached to co-star. In March 2016, Cooper signed on to star and make his directorial debut, and Lady Gaga joined the cast in August 2016.

7) Principal photography began at the famed Coachella Music Festival in April 2017.

8) A Star Is Born premiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2018 and the critics had only good things to say.

A Star Is Born
The story is ultimately tragic, but the film is not a downer. In a year when many of the best films have tackled worthy social issues, this movie stands out because it’s just a big old-fashion love story—the kind Hollywood seems to have stopped making. Prediction: It will be a commercial success and an award season shoe-in.

The film tells the story of a young, unknown female singer, who is discovered by a male star; her ascent to fame and their romance happen concurrently as he descends into alcoholism and drug abuse.

Vulnerability comes up a lot when Cooper discusses the film on the talk shows. As both a storyteller and a performer, Cooper searched deep personal pain to make this movie. Jack Main, the lead character, is an alcoholic. Cooper, who has spoken openly in the past of his own issues with substance abuse, is now sober and gives the character’s descent into addiction the texture of someone who has lived it first hand. Both his acting and directing will certainly receive award nods.

We all knew Lady Gaga could sing, and does she ever in this film. The question everyone was asking is could Cooper pull off his role as a rock star guitarist? Believe me when I say he does. The movie’s soundtrack should soar right up the charts. And there’s no doubt about it: Cooper’s version of A Star Is Born has transformed Lady Gaga into a movie star.

Part love story, part rock and roll concert, A Star Is Born is definitely a must see film this fall.

References: www.useless.com, www.imbd.com, www.time.com

ReelCorner DonneHeadshot0318Donne Paine, film enthusiast, once lived around the corner from the Orson Wells Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts where her strong interest in films, especially independent ones, began. Supporter of the arts­—especially films—she travels to local and national film festivals including Sundance, Toronto and Tribeca. There is nothing like seeing a film on the big screen. She encourages film goers to support Hilton Head local theaters—Coligny, Park Plaza and Northridge theaters. To support her habit of frequent movie going Donne is a retired executive recruiter and staff development consultant. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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