A Star Is Born

It reviews better than it plays — admired more than it is enjoyed.

• “For one star to get an award, a handful of defeated nominees have to swallow their pain, as the spotlight moves away from them. For one star to deliver the shock of the new, another one has to receive the shock of the old. A Star Is Born turns that transaction into a love story.”

  Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian · 100

• “The story of A Star Is Born may be as old as show-business, but it is also electrifyingly fresh – a well-known melody given vivid, searching new force.”

  Robbie Collin, The Telegraph · 100

• “Cooper has made a jaggedly tender love story that is never over-the-top, an operatic movie that dares to be quiet.”

  Owen Gleiberman, Variety · 100

• “A remarkably assured directorial debut from Bradley Cooper who turns in a career-defining performance opposite a promising Lady Gaga. A remake that captures the tone and spirit of prior films, A Star Is Born still blazes its own heartfelt, authentic path.”

  Terri White, Empire · 100

• “It rejoices in a classic structure in which one upward trajectory and one downward meet for a shining moment in the middle. Under Cooper’s direction – and thanks to his chemistry with his co-star – the movie throbs with the excitement of that meeting, while the downfall of his alcoholic rocker achieves an almost tragic catharsis.”

  Kate Taylor, The Globe and Mail (Toronto) · 100