Bradley Cooper directs and stars in Maestro. The film also stars Carey Mulligan. It is due to be released on 20 December 2023 via Netflix.
If there was ever a film made with awards in mind, it is Maestro. Awards bait isn’t always a negative. Several brilliant films made with awards in mind do well during award season. After not securing an Oscar for his A Star Is Born effort, I get it. I don’t necessarily agree with it, but I get it.
With Maestro, we get a dramatic biopic about American composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper). The film focuses on his relationship with his wife, Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan).
Biopics will always have varied reactions because of the nature of them. Some viewers know the subject matter religiously, and others need more information. The story and representation of the characters involved is where knowledge comes into play. Where knowledge of the subject matter doesn’t come into play is the technical aspects of the film.
I fall in the latter category of needing more information regarding Leonard Bernstein. Faith is put in the filmmaker’s hands to show me his truth. What I was shown was a little. I found out about his relationship with his wife, his sexual orientation and the troubles which came from that. Aside from this, little was given regarding his character and life works. The moments where the focus was on his music were where I felt the film excelled. I just wanted to see more from that angle.
It is strange to speak about excellence in the film and not about Carey Mulligan. She feels the most life-like character, moves the narrative forward and is the film’s beating heart. Carey is the less performative of the stars. She steals the show from underneath the prosthetic nose of Bradley Cooper.
Bradley Cooper doesn’t perform poorly; it is just clear he is acting and will, in true award season style, be nominated for best actor. The award voter’s love of prosthetics and biopics must be studied. Cooper was robbed of his Oscar due to prosthetics and a biopic. It will be ironic if he denies another actor the same way.
A film switching between colour and black & white is a trick to distinguish different periods. Children growing up and being played by other actors is another trick. Hair and make-up departments work tirelessly to show ageing with many methods. Maestro utilises all of these. It makes the black & white scenes feel superficial. Another aspect which felt forced to a degree.
The stroke of genius of the film’s production comes with the score being entirely music from Leonard Bernstein. It is glorious and fits perfectly with the visuals. It allows the viewer to understand the man through his art—the most precise look into an artist’s soul.
