It is not the first time. Or even the second or the third. It is the same story, told under different titles, told by many different actors and actresses. This version is called A Star is Born and it stars Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Cooper is Jackson Maine, a fading country singer. She is Ally, the waitress with the beautiful voice, who he discovers one alcoholic night. One career falling, one rising. It is a story of contrasts, but also of a journey that can only be taken together. Their relationship is crucial to the film. Judging from the early praise and festival buzz, it seems that Cooper and Lady Gaga were largely successful. A Star is Born is yet another romance after a long drought. I, for one, am quite excited. I am in love with the genre. It will be interesting to see if this remake will be able to live up to its predecessors and the already building hype. A Star is Born is currently showing at the State Theater. Tickets can be bought online or at the box office ($8 with a student ID).

Colette is certainly not Kiera Knightley’s first period piece. From her most prominent role as Elizabeth Bennet to her work in Oscar nominated films like the Imitation Game, she has never been a stranger to the past. In Colette, she, once again travels back, this time to portray the life of a woman who did a little bit of everything. Colette was a French novelist who won the Nobel Prize in Literature for her novella, Gigi. But she was not always recognized for her work. Before she became an independent author, she was a ghost writer for her husband. The film centers on her struggle to break out of societal expectations of women, especially the expectations of women as writers and artists. Although it is set in the past, it is also a story relevant to the present. Women are still struggling to be heard. I am glad that Colette’s story is finally being told. Colette is currently showing at the State Theater. Tickets can be bought online or at the box office ($8 with a student ID).