8 Reasons Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born Is Better Than Maestro
A comparison between Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born and Maestro, highlighting the reasons why A Star Is Born is considered better.
Lady Gaga's Performance
While both Maestro and A Star Is Born have their individual triumphs, A Star Is Born is ultimately the better of the two Bradley Cooper-directed movies. Carey Mulligan's performance in Maestro is exceptional as usual, similar to her outstanding work in Promising Young Woman, Drive, Inside Llewyn Davis, and The Great Gatsby. Lady Gaga's performance in A Star Is Born shouldn't be compared to Mulligan's in Maestro, but it should be noted that Cooper had to fight to convince Warner Bros. to hire Lady Gaga in the first place. With the odds stacked against her, and with little acting experience, Gaga hit it out of the park as Ally.
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in A Star is Born
Bradley Cooper's Directorial Debut
What's also extraordinarily impressive about A Star Is Born is that it marks Bradley Cooper's directorial debut. In this way, both he and Gaga had much to prove with A Star Is Born, and Cooper demonstrated his undeniable talent both onscreen and behind the scenes as well. Maestro arguably showcases better skill and technique from a directorial standpoint, but this is a natural progression with any director as they gain more experience. While Maestro has some ambitious moments including a sex-minute performance of 'Resurrection' in Ely Cathedral that was a reenactment of one of Bernstein's most famous performances, there would be no Maestro if Cooper hadn't excelled as the director of A Star Is Born.
Bradley Cooper as Jackson Maine in A Star Is Born
Shallow Original Song
The biggest takeaway from A Star Is Born is by far the original song Shallow that Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper sing together in the film. Without that song, and the quality of the entire original soundtrack, A Star Is Born would likely not be considered as great as it was when it premiered in 2018. Even people who haven't seen the movie know the song 'Shallow', which won Best Original Song at the 2019 Academy Awards. As the incredible songwriter that she is, Lady Gaga created a cultural phenomenon with 'Shallow' which admittedly is much more memorable, and singable, than Bernstein's brilliant orchestral pieces heard throughout Maestro.
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga singing together in A Star is Born
