Absolutely Fantastic

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

There is no doubt Judy Garland was an extraordinary singing talent, with one of the best voices ever heard on the silver screen. However, I feel her actual talent as a dramatic actress was overlooked because of her ability as a singer. Here, she is able showcase both the singer and the dramatic actress.Some people think that Judy didn't have to stretch very far to act in this role (unlike Grace Kelly who won the Oscar that year which many thought was rightfully Judy's), but I have to disagree. She got the chance to stretch her dramatic acting skills plenty, and gave a performance that perhaps was not expected of her after spending the majority of her MGM career in musical comedies, minus her dramatic, non-singing performance as a young war bride in "The Clock." This is Judy's movie all the way, and she makes the most of every moment. Still, the charismatic James Mason's contribution to the film should not be overlooked. In my opinion, he was an extremely underrated actor. This is a great film that gives her fans the complete Judy Garland package. Definitely worth seeing.

This, Contrary to Many, is not Judy Garland at Her Peak. It is More like an All Out Performance that says with Bravado, "Don't count me out quite yet." After Seeing this No One did, and it Reaffirmed that Her Talent had not Dissipated, but was on Demand Anytime She Wished it.It is a "Pull out all the stops." Movie with Technicolor, CinemaScope, Top Talent, and a Length that would have Judy's Fans Saying give us more, but Others saying that a Good Trimming is in Order.What is Available Today is Mostly its Full Length and the Movie is Full to the Brim with Garland Singing at Every Turn and some of Her New Found Belting Style is Either Ecstasy or Cacophonic, depending on Taste. There are some Charming Musical Numbers, but the Often Praised "Born in a Trunk" is Clunk and at 15 Minutes it does Test the Tolerance of Anyone not Hypnotized by Judy's Personal Charm.You can Feel the Strain Many Times in this Overlong Attempt to Give Them Everything (those wishing for a Garland comeback and her masses of admirers) and the Movie cannot be Faulted for its Effort. But the Film does not Fully Succeed. James Mason is Fine and Judy's Dramatic Acting is Soulful, but Overall it Seems Disjoined, Uneven, with what may be a Sub-Conscience Apologetic Embrace that Might just be Hugging the Fragile and Charming, Multi-Talented and Ever Popular Judy Garland as a Performer more than this Inconsistent Picture.

This film has a lot of history and baggage, to be sure. Judy Garland had been dropped from "The Barkleys of Broadway" (which resulted in the happy reunion of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire in their only Technicolor movie) and "Annie Get Your Gun" and she and her fans were hopeful that "A Star Is Born" would be her big comeback vehicle. I recently viewed the movie on Blu-ray, not having seen it before, and I have to say that I was not overwhelmed by any of it. In fact, I found a good bit of it annoying. It was too long and should have been cut, though that should have been done by George Cukor, not the studio. I know that the Judy-Garland-can-do-no-wrong crowd won't like this, but she was, in my opinion, a bit too old and a bit too plump for the part and in all of her musical numbers, she is just trying so hard to knock it out of the park, the result is performances that are too over-the-top and frantic. Everything about this film seems bloated, dated, and just boring. The insertion of stills to fill in for missing footage is distracting, too. It would have been better to have done as they did with the recent "South Pacific" release and offered two versions--the complete, "restored" roadshow version, with the stills and extra footage, and the shortened version. In sum: this is a curiosity item and not without interest, but not the masterpiece that many would claim. If you are looking for a showcase of Judy's mature singing talent, this may be your cup of tea. Otherwise, forget it.

This is the movie that legends are made of. It is still talked about, studied, dissected and gossiped about. It features one of the all-time great performances, a role so perfectly played that there is no doubt in my mind that no matter how troubled leading lady Judy Garland may have been, her ego never dominated, only the desire to turn out something excellent.Up until this film, Judy Garland's film career had simply been about "Dorothy", with a bit of "St. Louis" thrown in and a song about Mr. Gable. She had been overshadowed by Mickey Rooney for a while, but when you talk about legends, it is Garland who stands above the rest, her singing, dancing, clowning, dramatics so much the tops. Only a few actors in film could make you cry while you laughed (Chaplin being one of the few others), and you always sensed heartbreak in her acting even when the parts were simply the same as what she had done before.As Esther Blodgett, Garland is an unknown singer. "Got to Have Me Go With You!" is her break-out number, at least for the presence of a drunken superstar named Norman Maine (James Mason) who intrudes on it like a naughty chorus boy. Garland saves the day by getting him into the choreography, and his gratitude when sober turns into the desire to make her a star after hearing her sing "The Man That Got Away". Like Fanny Brice and "My Man", no matter who sings this song, you will always think of her. Even with "Over the Rainbow", that was a beginning, her innocence still prevalent, and here as a mature performer, she can dominate a song without eating it up. Harold Arlen, who wrote the music for both these songs, can truly be called one of the greatest masters of songwriting in the business, still honored today in an Off Broadway show, "The Wizard of Song"."Say Vicky Lester!", she is told upon hearing her new name, and even if there was once a bit actress with this name in real life (around the time of the 1937 Janet Gaynor/Fredric March version), it will be Garland's Vicky who will go down into immortality. Vicki and Norman marry, he attempts sobriety, and she becomes a superstar. While "Born in a Trunk" is considered the hallmark of this film, I truly find her "Somewhere There's a Someone" to be the richest moment where she perfectly chews up every moment this 7 minute dance number takes on. "Loose That Long Face" and "Here's What I'm Here For" also point out her ability to win your heart and rip it out at the same time.Excellent dramatic performances by Mason (certainly not overshadowed in this by his strong leading lady), Jack Carson (press agent) and Charles Bickford (studio head) add dimension to the story, not making this all about the star. Tommy Noonan is touching as her roommate, having just supported another great diva, Marilyn Monroe, as her put-upon fiancée in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes". Lucy Marlowe makes the most out of her bit role as a rising starlet, but it is obvious that once Vicky Lester enters the scene, there's no doubt who will end up with the man and the Oscar.Having directed such greats as Hepburn, Garbo, Crawford, Bergman and Taylor, George Cukor adds another coupe to his credits with "A Star is Born", and all of the combined talents prove that this was indeed a team effort, not just a showcase for Garland after her triumph at the Palace following her exodus from MGM. With husband Sid Luft at the helm, there is no doubt that there was high hopes of it revitalizing her film career, but the film points out that Garland's best work was on the stage. Like the name of her finale film which proved that Garland could go on singing, it wouldn't take the cows to come home, only audiences to fill up the seats where she won their hearts, even if only able to give part of herself.