Emotional highs and lows in a starring effort

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga come together to bring us this new iteration of A Star is Born.

In this tale, country rock star Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) meets and falls in love with struggling singer Ally (Lady Gaga).

With Jackson’s help and encouragement, Ally moves from obscurity to stardom however, not everything is glamourous. Jackson struggles with alcohol and drug addiction, threatening, not only his career, but also his relationship with Ally.

There are so many emotional highs and lows in this film. One moment, you’re filled with joy watching Jackson and Ally perform on stage together. The next, you’re sobbing as tragedy strikes.

Both Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga do wonderful jobs in their respective roles, managing to carry their characters through the story’s emotional whirlwind.

Both their characters are flawed but you can’t help but root for them. You cheer for Ally to overcome her shyness and let her voice ring out, while you pray that Jackson stops being a drunken jerk so that his more gentlemanly side can shine.

We all knew Lady Gaga is a great singer, but Bradley Cooper shows that he’s got some singing chops too. As this is considered a musical its music needs to be on point and the film doesn’t fail to deliver in this department. The songs that reflect Jackson and Ally’s relationship are especially powerful.

The supporting cast also deserve note, from Jackson’s supportive older brother and manager, Bobby (Sam Elliott), to Ally’s sweet as cake best friend, Ramon (Anthony Ramos). Everyone brings further levels to the two mains.

Overall, this was a moving film with the added bonus of having great music to enjoy. The story’s sure to jerk on your heartstrings and make you leave the cinema with tears streaming down your face.