THE FILM
TITLE: Maestro
RELEASE DATE: 02 Sep 2023
WATCH DATE: 31 Jan 2024
TYPE: live-action feature film
ACCESS: streaming on Netflix
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THE PEOPLE
DIRECTOR: Bradley Cooper
PRODUCER: Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Bradley Cooper, Fred Berner, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Amy Durning, Emma Elgort
WRITER: Bradley Cooper, Josh Singer
ACTORS: Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer
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THE STORY
RUNTIME: 2h 9m
STORYLINE:
GENRE/THEMES: drama, biopic, orchestral music, family, life
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THE CRITIQUE
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS
Bradley Cooper’s best performance yet. He is enthralling in the role of composer and musician Leonard Bernstein. You won’t want to blink. Maestro follows the life of Bernstein and his wife Felicia (Carey Mulligan), as they fall in love, build their careers, raise a family, and face the trials of life. Mulligan meets Cooper’s acting skill line for line - I wasn’t sure who to pay closer attention to. Cooper’s mannerisms, voice and intonation, and Mulligan’s postures and expressions; the two make an impressive match on screen. The dedication and commitment to the role are overwhelming, most especially evident in the scene where we see him actually conducting a full orchestra to perform Mahler's Resurrection Symphony in a cathedral in England.
The magic of makeup and hairstyling in film is in your face in every scene. The transformation of Cooper into Bernstein… impeccable. The aging done for both lead actors is unbelievable - to see years pass on their faces in a matter of a couple of hours. When Felicia is diagnosed with breast cancer, her figure begins to slim and her face begins to hollow. Cooper is nearly unrecognizable in the opening and closing scenes as Bernstein in his 70s.
Cinematographically… iconic. Maestro is divided into three movements - much like orchestral music! First, the film opens in a narrow aspect ratio, and in black and white (a personal favorite film design choice). The second movement becomes colorized, in the most striking yet subtle way - one of the best transitions I have ever seen. (I literally tracked back to rewatch the transition, and then went back to the film later that day to rewatch those few seconds of film again.) The color grading keeps the vibrancy slightly muted, echoing the color quality of film in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, when the second act takes place. The final movement sees the aspect ratio widen as Bernstein runs up to a concert hall to teach conducting. In addition, the visual development, framing, and movement of the camera were just as enthralling as the acting consistently throughout the film.
For all of the masterful filmmaking present in this film, it was depressing to see it all devoted to portraying the life of such a broken and selfish man. Sure, Leonard Bernstein was a talented man who gave so much to the music industry… but his life was so sad. A broken marriage due to an obsession with his work and affairs with other men, and an attitude that pushed people away rather than built meaningful relationships. If this same filmmaking quality was given to tell the life of someone more inspiring and meaningful… this would have been a solid five-star film. No doubts.
For what it is, Maestro remains an incredible film, worthy of each one of its Oscar nominations. While he has some serious competition for Best Leading Actor in the awards this year, Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of Leonard Bernstein is the Oscar-winning performance.
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THE RECEPTION
NOMINATIONS
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THE IMPRESSION
IN A SINGLE WORD: enthralling
MOST STRIKING ELEMENT: cinematography
REWATCH: no
RATING: 4 // 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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