Kurt Loder Reviews A Star Is Born and Venom: New at Reason

This week, Kurt Loder reviews A Star is Born and Venom. A snippet:

The plot remains as syrupy as it was in the three previous iterations of this story (1937, with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March; 1954, the gold standard, with Judy Garland and James Mason; and 1976, the aluminum standard, with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson). But Bradley Cooper’s take on A Star Is Born is a revelation on a couple of levels. The cinematography, by Matthew Libatigue, has a rich, creamy warmth; and first-time director Cooper, also the movie’s star and cowriter (and co-songwriter and producer, too), pushes the camera in for long, tight closeups in most of the two-shot scenes, creating a rare feeling of intimacy. And just as striking is the quality of the audio in the many concert segments (all recorded live, not pre-taped)—it’s both gut-tremblingly loud and crystalline in its musical detail.

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