I’m sure that by now you’ve all heard the much played single “Shallow” by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. The sequence of A Star Is Born that revolves around the performance of that song is the highlight of this film. Other than that, we can throw this one in the trash bin as well, in my opinion. I know I’m really diverging from the mostly positive reviews critics have given this movie, but that’s okay. I strongly disliked it. I thought the script was ridiculously cheesy, for the most part–and that’s when I could understand the characters’ profanity-laced mumblings. The acting was alright at times, and the music was pretty good (though nothing like the iconic anthems of Queen that Bohemian Rhapsody treats its audience to). However, I had prepared myself to be emotionally moved by this film, and I ended up mostly confused and frustrated. I struggled to believe the connection between Bradley Cooper’s and Lady Gaga’s characters, and I couldn’t muster up enough sympathy for either of them in their eventual plights.

Part of the reason for my puzzlement and lack of emotion was because the film did not focus on what I was expecting it to. At this year’s Grammys when accepting the award for Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Shallow,” Lady Gaga made an impassioned plea to her fellow musicians to not ignore the issue of mental health–especially in their profession. What I found in A Star Is Born, though, was not a heartwrenching portrayal of a loving couple dealing with one partner’s mental condition, but a story about addiction and its effect on the characters’ relationships. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with movies tackling the difficult topics of addiction or mental illness. The Lost Weekend, 1945’s BP winner, told the story of an alcoholic, while 2001’s BP A Beautiful Mind chronicled the life of John Nash and his battle with schizophrenia–and both films did so very tastefully and successfully. But A Star Is Born just didn’t convince me to empathize with its characters, and it very much fails to offer its viewers a better solution to addiction than brief stints in rehab. I mean, without giving anything away, if love isn’t enough, then what is the solution to the inevitability of a messy life? Well, the good news is that for those who like the idea of the storyline but didn’t love the film (like me), there are several earlier versions of it that one can try. Maybe the language in those ones will be better, at least.

Why This Film Might Win BP:

Coming in to this year’s awards season, A Star Is Born was viewed as a favorite by many for the big awards; but it hasn’t performed too well at the major shows so far–other than its domination in the song categories. “Shallow” should be a no-brainer prediction for the Academy’s Music (Original Song) winner. As for the movie’s BP chances…if Academy voters want to steer clear of the more controversial, racially focused films nominated this year, and if they believe the critics who say Bohemian Rhapsody is a poor choice, and if they hate recent politics, and if they agree with me that The Favourite is crap, then they might choose A Star Is Born. But that’s a lot of if’s.

Why This Film Might Not Win BP:

Despite some last minute pushes from supporters (such as Sean Penn), A Star Is Born just doesn’t seem to have the momentum (or the awards success) to take home BP this year. Plus, it’s never a good sign when a BP-nominated film’s director isn’t nominated as well. Poor Bradley Cooper in his directorial debut was snubbed by the Academy. Sad. However, I’d bet my hat that Lady Gaga will be holding an Oscar by the end of the night–but it will be for her music, not her acting.