A Star Is Born (1976) Review

        It’s incredible to see a movie be different in various time periods. As I keep mentioning within my takes, it’s reflective of the time. No one could’ve imagine changing up the formula. Gone is the glitz and glamor of Hollywood. This time the focus is on music, a holdover from the ’54 version when it was adapted to a musical. Unfortunately, this is the weakest entry among the entire franchise. 

1. Different Approach

        When you do a thing repeatedly within a 20-year span, you want to change it up before it gets stale. I can at least commend the movie that instead of focusing on the main star getting an Oscar. We see her getting a Grammy. Once more plot wise: a has been drunk makes an ass out of himself, he discovers an unknown and makes her into a star. Yeah, yeah, yeah, but what’s basically the main problem with the film is that somehow it doesn’t work. 

        To make it simple, when watching the movie something felt off when trying to get invested with the characters. Seeing John becoming self-destructive is obviously what’s expected with this series. Although, we still don’t have a scene or just a passing moment as to why he drinks or snorts crack. Like this is the third entry, it would’ve been something where it could be explorative with seeing John in a new light. 

        The way he goes about seeing Esther feels obligatory as well. As I mentioned just two paragraphs ago, he stumbles into a bar and sees Esther perform with her group. Now portrayed as Barbara Streisand, to me it just doesn’t work. For one thing a movie has to be believable in order to work. The prior two entries at least gave their female leads charm and have time dedicated to them. We see who they are, what they want and dream.

        Here though, from what we see she seems pretty content with her career. She’s part of a singing troupe and gets annoyed by John interrupting. From there I feel that the movie is in autopilot. Like, there’s not a moment where she talks to her members and tell her that she has a chance to be something. Instead, they join her even though Esther gets solo billing. Mind you she can sing, but the reason why it doesn’t work is because she’s Barbara Streisand. 

        She’s already well known even before the movie. So, the believability doesn’t work since people that are going to the movie can’t buy the fact that context wise she rises up. Even though she already made it to the top with her music in real life. You can make the same comparison with Judy Garland, but what makes her performance work is that her movie feels like a tribute to her entire career. With Streisand, part of me feels like it’s a vanity project since her character gets famous based on her music, when she’s been doing that. 

        One last tidbit I want to talk about is the producer of the film. You may not know him, but be glad that he didn’t have his way with making a Superman movie. Jon Peters was romantically involved with Streisand, by becoming her hairdresser then somehow being big in Hollywood. The only reason I bring this up is that for some odd reason he wanted to put a giant spider in a Superman movie and another comic book movie called the Sandman. He got his wish when he produced the Will Smith stinker, Wild Wild West. Anyways, back to talking about this stinker.

2. Chemistry

        The other thing that made this movie not work for me is the overall chemistry between John and Esther. If there’s one word that perfectly describes the relationship is ‘Mania’. Like we do have their moments where we see them together and hear them sing. Although, John’s vice rears its alcoholic head is when it gets annoying. He always rides a motorcycle dangerously when Esther sees him. Like there’s being drunk, and then there’s being suicidal.

        Like I just don’t buy them as a couple at all since he makes her become famous just by her voice. And the fact that there’s really no point to him really getting involved with his band doesn’t make sense in the least bit. Yeah, we see him introduce her at a benefit concert, but it gets to a point where I really don’t like his character. 

        Even the moments when they argue is just boring since they relapse between getting mad and then getting over it like it was nothing. They even ruin the moment when Esther gets a Grammy. This the scene where we see John at his lowest moment by accidentally hitting the winner. Here, it’s so awkward where I just wish seeing someone hit someone or something to at least break the awkward tension. 

3. Overall

        The bicentennial version of A Star Is Born is not a good movie. There’s a lot of stuff I could’ve talked about but this is a good enough reason to skip this one if you’re going to marathon the series.