Directed By Bradley Cooper; Written By Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer; Starring Carey Mulligan, Bradley Cooper, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Silverman.
Maestro chronicles the lifelong relationship between conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn (Carey Mulligan). Their love story spans over 30 years from the time they met at a party in 1946 and continuing through their 25-year marriage. For those unfamiliar with Bernstein's work, he was the legendary composer behind classic musicals such as On the Town, Wonderful Town, Candide, and West Side Story in addition to the underscore for the 1954 Oscar-winning drama, On the Waterfront.
This is Bradley Cooper's second time in the director's chair following his successful 2018 remake of A Star is Born. From a directorial standpoint, this is a huge upgrade from his work on that. Each section of the film is presented in different color schemes, effectively representing the era they take place in. That aspect also gives this a very old school approach to the filmmaking as many scenes consist of long continuous shots with very little cutting. Cinematographer Matthew Libatique definitely deserves a lot of credit for that. Plus, editor Michelle Tesoro pulls off several clever scene transitions.
Much has been said about how uncanny Cooper looks as Leonard Bernstein ever since photos of him in the role were revealed over a year and a half ago. It’s obviously hard to deny that at this point. Although regarding the actual performance, it’s quite a meal for him. Cooper starts out giving quite a charismatic turn, but he emotionally grows stronger throughout the film. Not to mention that in the scenes where Bernstein is conducting, you just can’t take your eyes off him. You can tell he really poured his heart and soul into this.
Yet the through line that keeps going from beginning to end is Bernstein’s relationship with his wife, Felicia. Carey Mulligan gives what I think might just be some of the strongest work she’s ever done. There’s quite a few closeups of her in silence where you can just feel all the emotions going on in her head. The chemistry she shares with Bradley Cooper is both very lively and heartbreaking. It really is the heart of the whole film. The hair and makeup work on both of them, especially as they age throughout, is outstanding.
As a longtime fan of Leonard Bernstein’s music, I previously wasn’t too familiar with his personal life. This movie really taught me a lot about it. Getting to see Maestro in theaters was a treat in part due to hearing Bernstein’s music through all the speakers surrounding me. The soundscape alone is very top notch. There might be some people who could feel put off by how unconventional it is for a biopic. I’m not one of them, although I can see how it would be. I will say that the narrative to me was off to a decent start, but definitely grew as it went on. This film will be available to stream on Netflix beginning on December 22nd.
Rating: 4/5
Maestro chronicles the lifelong relationship between conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn (Carey Mulligan). Their love story spans over 30 years from the time they met at a party in 1946 and continuing through their 25-year marriage. For those unfamiliar with Bernstein's work, he was the legendary composer behind classic musicals such as On the Town, Wonderful Town, Candide, and West Side Story in addition to the underscore for the 1954 Oscar-winning drama, On the Waterfront.
This is Bradley Cooper's second time in the director's chair following his successful 2018 remake of A Star is Born. From a directorial standpoint, this is a huge upgrade from his work on that. Each section of the film is presented in different color schemes, effectively representing the era they take place in. That aspect also gives this a very old school approach to the filmmaking as many scenes consist of long continuous shots with very little cutting. Cinematographer Matthew Libatique definitely deserves a lot of credit for that. Plus, editor Michelle Tesoro pulls off several clever scene transitions.
Much has been said about how uncanny Cooper looks as Leonard Bernstein ever since photos of him in the role were revealed over a year and a half ago. It’s obviously hard to deny that at this point. Although regarding the actual performance, it’s quite a meal for him. Cooper starts out giving quite a charismatic turn, but he emotionally grows stronger throughout the film. Not to mention that in the scenes where Bernstein is conducting, you just can’t take your eyes off him. You can tell he really poured his heart and soul into this.
Yet the through line that keeps going from beginning to end is Bernstein’s relationship with his wife, Felicia. Carey Mulligan gives what I think might just be some of the strongest work she’s ever done. There’s quite a few closeups of her in silence where you can just feel all the emotions going on in her head. The chemistry she shares with Bradley Cooper is both very lively and heartbreaking. It really is the heart of the whole film. The hair and makeup work on both of them, especially as they age throughout, is outstanding.
As a longtime fan of Leonard Bernstein’s music, I previously wasn’t too familiar with his personal life. This movie really taught me a lot about it. Getting to see Maestro in theaters was a treat in part due to hearing Bernstein’s music through all the speakers surrounding me. The soundscape alone is very top notch. There might be some people who could feel put off by how unconventional it is for a biopic. I’m not one of them, although I can see how it would be. I will say that the narrative to me was off to a decent start, but definitely grew as it went on. This film will be available to stream on Netflix beginning on December 22nd.
Rating: 4/5