Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) is an international music star. He’s also an alcoholic and drug addict with worsening tinnitus. When looking for a bar after a gig he finds Ally (Lady Gaga) performing La Vie en Rose (the song Cooper and Gaga sang together in an initial meeting to discuss the film) and takes her under his wing. As her career soars his crumbles.

A Star is Born has been Bradley Cooper’s passion project. He produces, co-writes, stars and directs the film. He also learnt to play the guitar and piano, went to a speech coach to lower his voice an octave to sound world weary and learnt to sing. As a directorial debut it’s mighty impressive and certainly in its first half it soars. I have minor quibbles with the second half of the film which I will come to but they seem trite in contrast to how much it does right.

At one point during the film Sam Elliott who plays Bradley Cooper’s brother Bobby explains Jackson’s view on songs. He says something along the line of “songs are the same stories told over and over again using 12 notes between octaves”. It’s a fitting line for a film that is the third remake of the original made in 1937. That version and the 1954 film were set in the film industry, whilst the 1976 version and this one are within the music industry. All of the films are slightly different but very much reflect their time.

In preparation for this new iteration I rewatched the Barbara Streisand/Kris Kristofferson film and I have to say that despite a fantastic performance from Kristofferson I didn’t buy into Streisand’s characters metamorphosis from singer in a bar to superstar. That is not something that I have any issue with in this film. Lady Gaga, in her first lead film role, is sensational as a waitress moonlighting as a singer thrust into the spotlight. Without her being believable as the up and coming singer the film would not work and she sells it perfectly.

Where the film is at its best though is in Cooper’s portrayal of Jackson Maine. Sporting a cowboy hat atop his perfect hair and beard he plays a troubled drug addict with aplomb. His personal demons perfectly played out to us making it easy to understand his characters motivations.

So now I’m at the point in my review where I say that this sensational film has a flaw. And I think this is purely because of my own personal musical sensibilities. The opening half of the film is very much focused on Cooper’s gravelly voiced Jackson and Gaga being a part of his music. It’s rock and country and it made me think of Bruce Springsteen. It’s great. As Ally is pushed into a more polished pop star the songs start to grate on my ears and I began to be frustrated by the idea that this is the stardom she is steered into. Interestingly I thought the film subtly was trying to make that point as well, perhaps not in the same way, but certainly in that you should be honest about your message and not let anyone else change that.

Overall it might just be the best A Star is Born yet, or perhaps it just works for me more because it’s set in my contemporary time?