We can all be far from the “Shallow”
A review and reflection of “A Star is Born”
I’m on a roller coaster each time Lady Gaga hits the vocalized arpeggio in “Shallow”. The bridge prepares us to hop off the deep end with both Gaga and Bradley Cooper. The percussion which breaks each phrase in that last chorus illustrates why this film has been called a dynamo by the critics. That same electricity returns when the credits first roll.
On Thursday, a studio version of “Shallow” was released for all of us to hear before “A Star Is Born” hits theaters nationwide on Oct. 5th. I saw the film this past Tuesday evening and walked away feeling a pallet of emotions, ranging from heartbroken and rattled to inspired and ready.
Cooper’s directorial debut fuels its audience. This story and its execution have the potential to impact every single human being who decides to buy a ticket and watch. This story is family. This story is our demons. This story is the capacity to love ourselves and others. This story is kindness and the lack thereof. This story is dreaming and taking a chance. Everyone can reach inside and reflect upon a certain life moment or experience, and in turn, be read by the film.
“A Star is Born” fills a void in modern entertainment and in storytelling. We have lately been choosing to escape from our issues rather than confronting them. Our withdrawal from reality has come in the form of fantasy rather than realistic dramas or comedies. Here’s a “project without caped crusaders,” magic wands or lightsabers. But, music and a raw story can help us all escape our current situations, while also providing us with a time and a place for a healthy reflection.
This music is a revelation and I hope that the general public responds to how well made and thought out each arrangement is. The songwriting guides the narrative. For the folk fans, you will be pleased. For the classic rockers, there’s something there for you as well. And finally: pop stans who are yearning for another bop, the songs are there, and are all ear candy.
As an actor, Cooper’s work with deeply flawed characters has always inspired me. In “A Star is Born” specifically, he shows the nuances of people who are battling and are still looking for a purpose. Gaga adds to this authenticity and gives a performance full of vigor. She lets us into a woman who has a lot of heart, but is also conflicted by love and ambition. The film shows us a power struggle between the two, but that isn’t the focal point or its purpose.
Jackson Maine (Cooper) expresses to Ally (Gaga) the importance of having something to say. He urges her to use her talent to deliver a message and to question the world around her. The infamous nose scene — I guess that’s what I’ll call it — symbolizes Maine, Cooper and Gaga’s beliefs on individuality. Jackson wants Ally to embrace her authenticity as a blessing rather than a curse. This theme gives a nod to the audience, encouraging us to do the same in this modern world.
This film comes at a time when Demi Lovato’s overdose inspired more online love than hate. Mark Ronson’s involvement and work on “Shallow” might have been an indirect tribute to the spirit of beloved Amy Winehouse, who now is viewed with more due respect posthumously rather than when actually alive.
A standout moment for me in the film was when Ally utters to Jackson: “It’s not your fault, it’s a disease.” As a reference to his alcoholism, the moment was laced with an intensity in both the actors’ eyes but also initiated a nurturing force weaved in the simplicity of the words. This exchange subtly addressed how we view addiction and those who hasten through its trepidatious waters.
Gaga spoke on the red carpet with Variety at the Toronto Film Festival and discussed how the film itself is a call to action. She urged society to wake up and pay attention to how humankind is affected by challenges. In other words, we need to start to give a damn about others. “A star being born in this film is not Ally, the star that is born is courage,” she said.
At first, the lasting effect of “A Star is Born” was very difficult for me to describe. I told many that I was speechless and couldn’t communicate eloquently what I had felt.
But after a few days, I know that it allows you a space to take a step back and breathe in your own skin. It’s a journey where you can look in the mirror and think about what you’ve become and if this is really who you want to be. And once we all do that, I presume that we too are far from the Shallow as well.
