soundandvision.com (^) [ 67
A STAR IS BORN manages to rise above the nigh-unavoidable
clichés of the music drama genre through the sheer, undeniable
force of Bradley Cooper’s love of his cra. Were this not already the
third remake of the 1937 film, the potential cinematic pitfalls of this
tale of frustrated singer/songwriter Ally (Lady Gaga), who struggles
amid the boozy, druggy stumblings of entrenched headliner Jack
(Cooper) would still be many. It could have turned out like a well-
produced episode of VH1’s Behind the Music, but instead we’re
given a deeply felt and surprisingly original update driven primarily
by the raw, unrestrained performances of the two lead actors. Their
complicated, beautifully explored relationship forms both the heart
and backbone of the movie. Plentiful dialogue-centric scenes
give these memorable characters a chance to shine, and the many
songs in a variety of styles are quite enjoyable.
The 2.4:1 image here is extremely sharp, allowing us to practically
count every face at the teeming concerts. Director of photography
Mahew Libatique uses light in a striking manner, at times exposing
stark detail on Jack as his true self is revealed. Dolby Vision high
dynamic range brings many subtle improvements in color grading
and overall contrast versus the bundled HD Blu-ray, particularly in the
frequent shadowy scenes. Ultimately, however, A Star Is Born does
not absolutely demand to be viewed on Ultra HD disc.
The tunes are undoubtedly the
highlight of the disc’s Dolby Atmos
track, which has a TrueHD 7.1 core.
“Live” performances tend to be bass-
heavy in a good way, imparting a you-
are-there effect, but perhaps sounding
a bit too clean to be fully convincing.
The dense mix helps to convey the
expanse of enormous crowds, even
if discrete cues are used somewhat
sparsely throughout. Regardless,
the soundtrack’s clarity provides a
good showcase for Ms. Gaga’s stellar,
always-radiant pipes.
The Ultra HD disc features eleven
“Musical Moments” that provide direct
access to the movie’s songs. These
are repeated on the Blu-ray and joined
by more music, including polished
videos and informal jam sessions.
The real meat comes in the form of a
30-minute behind-the-scenes docu-
mentary, but a commentary is conspic-
uously absent considering that this
was obviously a passion project for
director Cooper. O CHRIS CHIARELLA Un
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WITH HIS MOST recent film, First Man, Oscar-winning director
Damien Chazelle has managed to do something remarkable: take
one of the greatest achievements in all humankind and render it as
cold as space itself. Astronaut Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) sacri-
fices much and faces incredible challenges on his way to leaving
those first-ever footprints on the moon. Much as The Right Stuff did
35 years prior, First Man pulls back the curtain to share previously
unknown chapters of the frequently idealized, glamorized space
program, and to its credit the movie succeeds in educating us. Both
flight tests and space exploration are painstakingly recreated with
elaborate special effects techniques, and the results come across
as truly authentic. This is not a documentary, however, but a biog-
raphy and historical chronicle, and too oen the underlying human
drama seems elusive, or altogether lacking. With his locked-down
emotions, Armstrong was the perfect candidate for such a high-
stress endeavor, but he remains an enigmatic figure as well as a
tough sell as the central character in a cinematic epic.
DP Linus Sandgren used film formats ranging from 16mm all the
way up to IMAX to achieve a number of different looks and moods.
Subtle film grain imparts a subconscious nostalgia to the 1960s-set
events, further enhanced by the restrained faux-natural lighting
and the warm palee evident in scenes at dawn or dusk. The most
dramatic choice is the shi from 2.39:1 to a large-format, 1.78:1 aspect
ratio specifically for the climactic sequence on the lunar surface. The
4K-resolution image is worth the step-up from 1080p Blu-ray (also
included), as when the tiny speck of
a spacecra moves across the black
expanse of space. Presented in Dolby
Vision, First Man displays outstanding
dynamic range, whether in the bold
searchlights that pierce the night or
the detail visible in shadowy figures.
The disc’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack
proves to be a vital storytelling tool
from the opening scenes onward.
Any rocket-centric opus damned well
beer bring the bass, and First Man
doesn’t disappoint, delivering mighty
yet precise rumble and boom. Even
more impressive: the creaks and
thumps enveloping the viewer during
flight scenes, a detail that reveals what
a noisily nerve-wracking proposition
an astronaut’s life must be.
A pair of deleted scenes and eight
topic-specific featurees are supplied
on the 4K disc. The audio commen-
tary proffers enthusiastic insights from
Chazelle, along with comments from
screenwriter Josh Singer and film
editor Tim Cross. O CHRIS CHIARELLA
ULTRA HD BLU-RAY
STUDIO: Universal Studios, 2018
ASPECT RATIO: 2.39:1/1.78:1
HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision and
HDR10
AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with
TrueHD 7.1 core
LENGTH: 141 mins.
DIRECTOR: Damien Chazelle
STARRING: Ryan Gosling, Claire
Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler,
Corey Stoll, Lukas Haas
ULTRA HD BLU-RAY
STUDIO: Warner Bros., 2018
ASPECT RATIO: 2.40:1
HDR FORMAT: Dolby Vision and
HDR10
AUDIO FORMAT: Dolby Atmos with
TrueHD 7.1 core
LENGTH: 136 mins.
DIRECTOR: Bradley Cooper
STARRING: Lady Gaga, Bradley
Cooper, Sam Elliott, Andrew Dice
Clay, Rafi Gavron, Anthony Ramos
FIRST MAN
UHD BLU-RAY
A STAR IS BORN
UHD BLU-RAY
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