In episode #4 of our podcast, Kaiser (Chandra) and I reviewed A Star is Born. That’s at about 16 minutes in. She made the point that the movie was all about Bradley Cooper’s character, Jackson, and that you could tell that he directed it. It should have been centered around Allie, Lady Gaga’s character, and her personal journey but that was glossed over.
Next week in our podcast I’m including a talk I had with my boyfriend Dave about A Star is Born, right after we watched it. (Since it’s the day after the Oscars it’s going to be a special episode with content that isn’t as time sensitive. It’s still fun! Kaiser and I will also talk about the perennial topic of Kim Kardashian’s plastic surgery.) He said that Cooper’s character reminded him of a drunk redneck guy at the bar and that he mumbled through most of the movie. Apparently all that was deliberate. On Colbert, Bradley explained how he came up with his character’s voice, it was modeled on Sam Elliott’s real voice, and how it hurt to maintain. It seemed like such a put on to me. Remember that not only is A Star is Born nominated for best picture, somehow Bradley got a best actor nomination too.
Sam Elliott said the first time he talked to him about the film he noticed he’d stolen his voice
I had to create [a rockstar]. I knew I wanted to lower my voice, but I knew I didn’t want to make it too country. Sam Elliott is from Sacramento but his mother was from Texas, so he has this accent that you can’t quite place, but it’s so wonderfully iconic.
I would go to sleep, my throat would hurt [from using the character’s voice].
On if he’s nervous about singing at the Oscars
[Jackson] is gone, I’m not going to get him back. I think I’m just going to keep the tux on. I’m going to start rehearsing [soon]. I hope to be present and enjoy it.
Colbert said it was an old fashioned movie in some ways
The intention was to make an epic movie that was intimate. To have it be cinematic but also extremely intimate.
Colbert said: When you were watching her rehearse the camera just stays on you watching her
After the fight. That was a beautiful marriage of working with a great cinematographer. That scene also was about him coming around on seeing the artistry in what she does. You’re watching his face change and appreciate what she’s doing.
Read his explanation in the last part. It’s all about his character’s arc as Chandra said. While I expected so much more from A Star is Born, and from Cooper’s character and direction, he was gracious on The Late Show. He so wants this film to do well and he really cares whether he wins or not. He thanked Colbert for speaking positively about the film at The National Board of Review and said it really touched him. This makes me wonder if he’s calling in favors with friends, like ‘ol ham face.
Here’s an unintentionally funny scene from ASIB
Here’s the part of Cooper’s interview where he talks about ASIB. The other part is here.
Photos credit: WENN
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