A Star Is Born is going to win best picture.

I've never seen any of the approximately 345 previous versions of A Star Is Born, so this review won't try to make any comparisons.  I'll judge this film on its own merits.  I can confidently predict that A Star Is Born will win this year's Best Picture.  It's an incredible character study with strong performances throughout.  The music is infectious and the Bradley Cooper's directing is strong.  While it's not currently my favorite movie of the year (That would be the incredible Annihilation), it'll be at the top of my year-end list. 

A Star Is Born is the fictional tale of an aging, drunken musician (Cooper in a breakout performance) who stumbles upon a no-name musician during a trip to a drag bar (the exceptional Lady Gaga).  He then takes her on the road with him and romance and heartbreak ensue on her rise to stardom.  This movie had a lot of chances to fall into a cliche trap, but Cooper's direction and the performances keep it from doing so.  For starters, the actors chose to sing live instead of to a pre-taped performance.  This gives each musical scene a sense of realism that may have been lost.  Cooper more than holds his own with the exceptional Gaga, which was something I didn't think he had in him.  The bond between these two characters was real and sincere.  Both their characters are given equal time to develop, so their choices have weight and meaning behind them.  I don't really want to spoil anything for those of you who aren't familiar with the story, but the film takes some dark turns along the way, and they hit so hard because of the time we as an audience are given to bond with them.

Cooper and Gaga have exceptional on-screen chemistry.

I was skeptical that Cooper and Gaga would be able to pull off such an excellent film, and boy was I wrong.  However, they aren't the only actors who shined in in A Star Is Born.  I can easily see Sam Elliott's brother/father figure character getting some awards' season recognition, and Andrew "Dice" Clay delivered a humorous yet relate-able performance as Gaga's father.

I'm giving A Star Is Born 3.75 out of 4 stars.  I predict it will be a major player come Oscar time.  It may not be the best film of the year, but I predict it will win Best Picture.