Film: Maestro

 

GENRE: Biography
RATING: R for some language and drug use
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 9 minutes
PLATFORM: Netflix
STARRING: Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook, Limitless, Alias)
Carey Mulligan (An Education, Public Enemies, Great Gatsby, She Said)
DIRECTOR: Bradley Cooper (A Star is Born)
WRITERS: Cooper (A Star is Born) & Josh Singer (Spotlight, The Post)
PLOT: The love story between conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Heard good things and like the West Side Story score.

STORY STUFF: I just didn’t get into this story. The dialogue is fun and fast-paced (glad I watched it with subtitles). The old school stuff is well done but then it jumps over West Side Story which is the part I wanted to see. The relationship troubles didn’t grab me. There are some amazing scenes with the standout being Bernstein conducting in an English cathedral. It may win Cooper an Oscar it is that good.  

ACTING STUFF: Cooper is incredible as Bernstein. He is riveting as a live wire of energy. He is fast talking, charming and passionate. There are a couple conducting scenes that are amazing to watch. I heard that Cooper took a long time to master those scenes and it shows. From the credits, it seems like Mulligan should be the star but she is often overshadowed by Cooper. However, she is also compelling to watch. She has great lines and scenes throughout and is able to match some of Cooper’s energy. These two performances are one of the main reasons to see the film.   

ARTISTIC STUFF: The cinematography is breathtaking. The first 45 minutes is done in lush black and white to symbolize the old Hollywood and beauty of the relationship. The color stuff is also well shot and shows the fracturing of the relationship. There is also some wonderful editing especially in the beginning.

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You are fine with black and white and care about Bernstein.  
UPCOMING REVIEW:  Best of 2023