Boy, did I want to love this movie. Bradley Cooper’s debut directorial performance was so close to perfect and yet so far away at the same time. I have so much admiration for his vision and ambition for this movie that I want to give it credit even in the areas it struggled with. Watching it through the lens of a moviegoer looking for an escape rather than that of a wannabe movie critic would have allowed me to see past some of its many errors. Ultimately, however, this film was far too flawed to be a legitimate contender for Best Picture or Best Director, despite what many seem to be already predicting. I will touch on all of the good and all of the bad in what will be one of my more thorough reviews. From a personal standpoint, this movie will stick with me for a long time, and it will be a movie that I purchase on DVD in the future. It’s a movie that I will continue to admire for decades to come. It is also a movie that I will continue to have those “What If” questions about. The difference between A Star Is Born, and many other movies that I have “What If” questions about is I don’t necessarily have a band-aid fix on what Cooper could have done to improve his film. Instead, I have some general thoughts and ideas. But these thoughts and ideas are more easily said than done, and I completely understand that. Oh, and this review is full of spoilers without warning. Therefore, let this be your warning as you read my review.
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