← Back to Reviews
in
Maestro
Bradley Cooper's dedication and passion to his work as an actor, director, and screenwriter are all over 2023's Maestro a sweeping yet intimate look at legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein that is completely riveting until a descent into melodrama that takes the film from its original intended purpose. This doesn't change the fact that Cooper's work as an actor and director on A Star is Born was no fluke and that he is a filmmaker who has a long and distinguished career ahead of him.
As a refreshing hook for biopics these days, this film actually begins at the beginning of Bernstein's career where he learns that the Philharmonic conductor has been snowbound somewhere and Lenny is asked to step in, right through his mentoring of young classical musicians through his Young People's Concerts.
Cooper and Josh Singer, who co-wrote the screenplay for the 2015 Best Picture Spotlight provide a slightly pretentious screenplay with an edge that I didn't expect. The screenplay makes no bones about Bernstein's bisexuality (news to me, though I always suspected). As a matter of fact as the film opens, Bernstein is in a relationship with a young man named David (Matt Bomer). Then when Lenny meets the glamorous actress Felicia (Carey Mulligan )like other films like De-Lovely, she claims that she has her eyes open about who Lenny is and is OK with it. And just like Linda Porter, she seems to be comfortable with the perks of being Mrs. Leonard Bernstein instead of being with a man who loves her completely and exclusively. There's a shocking scene where Lenny is observed at a music event in the balcony with Felicia on one side of him and a man seated on the other side of him and he's holding his hand. There's a heartbreaking scene with Lenny and his daughter where she has inquired about rumors she's heard about him and he just sugarcoats the whole thing...the first scene in the film that made me not like the guy.
Unfortunately, once it is revealed that Felicia has a life-threatening illness, the screenplay seems to forget all about Lenny and concentrates on Felicia and Lenny's unflinching dedication to her, which had been questionable up to this point in the story. Carey Mulligan crushes the scenes where Felicia is observed being nauseous from the chemo and is unapologetic in its presentation. I was also a little disappointed that Bernstein's most commercially successful work as a composer, the music for West Side Story is barely mentioned.
On the positive side, Bradley Cooper is to be applauded for all the work, research, and training that had to be involved in bringing this character to the screen. His work is on par with Cate Blanchett's work in Tar...learning how to conduct and some very convincing piano playing in an early scene, He pitches his voice much lower than we're accustomed to hearing and there is a scene near the end of the film where he observed conducting an orchestral piece with two female soloists where it is obvious that Cooper spent hours just watching video of Bernstein conducting.
It's hard to deny the artistry that Bradley Cooper put into this film and would love to see him win at least one of the Golden Globes he's been nominated for and I think he should be recognized at Oscar time as well. So should Carey Mulligan who, after two previous nominations, is definitely due for some award love. It's not quite a home run, but Bradley Cooper definitely knows the ins and outs of being in front of and behind the camera.
Bradley Cooper's dedication and passion to his work as an actor, director, and screenwriter are all over 2023's Maestro a sweeping yet intimate look at legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein that is completely riveting until a descent into melodrama that takes the film from its original intended purpose. This doesn't change the fact that Cooper's work as an actor and director on A Star is Born was no fluke and that he is a filmmaker who has a long and distinguished career ahead of him.
As a refreshing hook for biopics these days, this film actually begins at the beginning of Bernstein's career where he learns that the Philharmonic conductor has been snowbound somewhere and Lenny is asked to step in, right through his mentoring of young classical musicians through his Young People's Concerts.
Cooper and Josh Singer, who co-wrote the screenplay for the 2015 Best Picture Spotlight provide a slightly pretentious screenplay with an edge that I didn't expect. The screenplay makes no bones about Bernstein's bisexuality (news to me, though I always suspected). As a matter of fact as the film opens, Bernstein is in a relationship with a young man named David (Matt Bomer). Then when Lenny meets the glamorous actress Felicia (Carey Mulligan )like other films like De-Lovely, she claims that she has her eyes open about who Lenny is and is OK with it. And just like Linda Porter, she seems to be comfortable with the perks of being Mrs. Leonard Bernstein instead of being with a man who loves her completely and exclusively. There's a shocking scene where Lenny is observed at a music event in the balcony with Felicia on one side of him and a man seated on the other side of him and he's holding his hand. There's a heartbreaking scene with Lenny and his daughter where she has inquired about rumors she's heard about him and he just sugarcoats the whole thing...the first scene in the film that made me not like the guy.
Unfortunately, once it is revealed that Felicia has a life-threatening illness, the screenplay seems to forget all about Lenny and concentrates on Felicia and Lenny's unflinching dedication to her, which had been questionable up to this point in the story. Carey Mulligan crushes the scenes where Felicia is observed being nauseous from the chemo and is unapologetic in its presentation. I was also a little disappointed that Bernstein's most commercially successful work as a composer, the music for West Side Story is barely mentioned.
On the positive side, Bradley Cooper is to be applauded for all the work, research, and training that had to be involved in bringing this character to the screen. His work is on par with Cate Blanchett's work in Tar...learning how to conduct and some very convincing piano playing in an early scene, He pitches his voice much lower than we're accustomed to hearing and there is a scene near the end of the film where he observed conducting an orchestral piece with two female soloists where it is obvious that Cooper spent hours just watching video of Bernstein conducting.
It's hard to deny the artistry that Bradley Cooper put into this film and would love to see him win at least one of the Golden Globes he's been nominated for and I think he should be recognized at Oscar time as well. So should Carey Mulligan who, after two previous nominations, is definitely due for some award love. It's not quite a home run, but Bradley Cooper definitely knows the ins and outs of being in front of and behind the camera.