Review: A Star is (re) Born

This piece was originally published in Nathaniel's column at Towleroad. The movie was first screened at TIFF but he hopes to see it many times. 

Overnight success is a myth. Great artistic success in show business generally comes from working hard and learning the craft, often for years, so that you're ready should a big break ever come. 'Overnight'  is only just that moment when the world suddenly notices your long-standing gifts. A Star is Born as a franchise always synthesizes this myth and this truth for something like a fairy/cautionary tale; just as quickly as a star rises, a star can fall. Talent is never the question, but the starting point; whether the world notices and for how long, is out of your hands. The screenplay for the latest telling of A Star is Born, emphasizes this last point, as Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) urges Ally (Lady Gaga) to give it her all because the world might not always be listening. 

For those who've been living under a cultural rock the story of A Star is Born is ancient and simple: One already established successful showbiz man 'discovers' an absurdly gifted but basically unknown female performer and takes her under his wing. They fall in love but as her fame rises, his falls, plagued as he is by personal demons in liquid form. The story never has a happy ending so if you need a good cry, queue up...

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Old Man and the Link

• EFA You can now vote on the People's Choice Award at the European Film Awards and maybe win a trip to the ceremony (strange choices this year. I don't like it when it's easy to decide!)
• Variety Buzzy titles at TIFF without a distributor that are hoping to inspire big sales / awards buzz -a la I Tonya last year
• NWI Robert Redford's swan song in Old Man and the Gun
• Playbill Megan Hilty singing "Suddenly Seymour" (!) from Little Shop of Horrors
• Bobby Rivers TCM's "The Black Experience on Film" - set your DVRs
• Deadline Cats, the movie musical, has moved into Wicked's previous release date December 20th, 2019. It's so weird that Cats is going to happen before Wicked when the latter so clearly needs to be a movie and the former so clearly shouldn't.
• The Playlist Dave Bautista not sure if he wants to continue his Marvel Universe contract post James Gunn firing
• The New Yorker great piece on the shaming of character actor Geoffrey Owens for his grocery bagging job on the side
• Vulture let these photos of Lady Gaga be your air conditioning
• Film School Rejects Crazy Rich Asian's had a historically big Labor Day weekend. It's also the first romcom to win that weekend since Bring It On in 2000!
• Next Best Picture a potential controversy for A Star is Born
• Gothamist the Village Voice is officially dead, after publishing since 1955 *sniffle*

Finally, over at Towleroad I shared feelings about the Summer Movie Season as we bid it goodbye. You've heard most of that article's introduction feelings before here at TFE but if you want to see the silly awards I handed out like "sexiest men," "stealth MVPs," and "best quotes", click on over.

Red Carpet Lineup: 26 Venice Lewks

Having previously covered those pink pink pink first days in Venice, on to some other memorable looks (and a few actresses included just because we like to look at them...)

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Venice: Think Pink!

by Nathaniel R

The stylists have (apparently) decreed it. All stars must wear pink or pinkish reds whilst attending the 75th annual Venice Film Festival this year. Lady Gaga has arrived, continuing and perfecting the trend. Her full gown after the jump plus more pink fashion from other beauties. Even the men have joined in...

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Yes No Maybe So: A Star is Born

by Nathaniel R

When the trailer for the fourth version of A Star is Born hit yesterday everyone was all surprised like "omg this looks... good. Could it be good?" Dear reader, we been saying that via the Oscar charts! It certainly helps that Bradley Cooper enlisted DP Matthew Libatique (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, Tigerland, Iron Man) to shoot it and from early images it looks like Libatique knew what an attention grabber this could be and is really going for broke. So much color and beauty. Yes! Let's do a quick Yes No Maybe So™ on this (and a few more trailers) after the jump...

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