tesg's Rating: Three stars (out of four)
This is the fourth telling of this story on the big screen dating back to the 1930's where a troubled star in decline discovers and falls in love with a girl, their careers moving past each other like ships in the night. (The characters in the first two movies were actors, the latter two musicians.) This version sticks to the tried-and-true format of its predecessors. If you've seen the earlier versions, nothing here will surprise you. Why it works is the spartan way it's largely told. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's chemistry is so good it tells part of the story without a word being spoken.
I almost went two and one half stars because it feels overly long and bogs down at times. But the ending brought it back for me.