A Star Is Born, starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, is poised to be a major player at the Oscars

The 2019 Academy Awards might already have a Best Picture frontrunner now that Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born has received rave reviews from critics at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The musical, which Cooper directed and also stars in with Lady Gaga, recently screened at TIFF, which every year is a key stop on the road to the Oscars. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the response was rapturous, with the movie getting a standing ovation at the end and numerous rounds of applause throughout. Critic Scott Feinberg writes that in the 12 years he has spent covering TIFF, he has "never seen a film evoke the sort of response that the North American premiere of A Star Is Born did Sunday night at the Elgin Theatre."
Critics have almost universally praised A Star Is Born so far, and it currently holds a score of 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The movie is now widely considered to be a major Oscar contender. Collider reports that both Cooper and Gaga will likely compete in the acting categories, as Cooper delivers "the best performance of his career" and Gaga is "nothing short of a revelation." It also looks likely to earn a Best Picture nomination and potentially a Best Director nod for Cooper. The Hollywood Reporter expects it to receive at least 10 nominations.
A Star is Born is the third remake of the 1937 film of the same name, with the 1957 version starring Judy Garland and the 1976 version starring Barbra Streisand. So far, every incarnation of the film has scored at least four Academy Award nominations.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Weer at Soho Theatre Walthamstow: a 'silly, seductive, slapstick joy'
The Week Recommends Natalie Palamides' 'tear-inducingly funny' one-woman show opens London's newest venue
-
Can the world stop Israel from starving Gaza?
Today's Big Question Total blockade on food and aid enters its third month, and Israel is accused of 'weaponising starvation'
-
The timely revival of watchmaking
Under The Radar Artisan horology is enjoying a surprising resurgence
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia