David Gillaspie

A Star Is Born showed the rags to riches rise we've all missed because we don't sing in public. And didn't get discovered like Lana Turner at the Top Hat. Lady Gaga played a character destined for the sort of life promised to those who never break free of the expectations they've grown up with. It's good enough to follow others' lead right up until it's not, and A Star Is Born reveals what it takes to break out. Caring about someone is key. Bradley Cooper played drunk and high the way drunk and high looks after a few decades. If you've ever been in the same room with a lifestyle boozer you noticed something. You could almost smell the alcohol stench fumes oozing off the Star screen. Cooper played the most convincing drunk since Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart. Gaga loved Jackson Maine so much it makes the audience wonder if they ever loved anyone, or if anyone loved them, just half as much. By the time you reach the sidewalk after watching A Star Is Born you'll find an extra chamber has grown in your heart. Call it the Gaga Chamber.