Available to stream on Netflix from today, following its debut at the Venice International Film Festival back in September, is the biographical drama, Maestro. Directed by, co-written, and starring Bradley Cooper, Maestro tells the story of American composer, Leonard Bernstein, with a specific focus on his marriage to actress Felicia Montealegre.
Featuring a cast which includes Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Silverman, Maestro follows Bernstein’s career from his early days as assistant conductor to the New York Philharmonic, through to his rise to become the most celebrated composer of his era. Along the way he meets aspiring actress, Felicia, the two get married, and they have three children.
The story covers the 1940s, moves through the ‘50s, into the ‘70s, and ends in the ‘80s. It showcases the ups and downs of their relationship, touching upon Bernstein’s sexuality, as well as Felicia’s battle with cancer.
Shot in black-and-white and colour, and featuring a spellbinding performance from Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein, Maestro is both an impressive film, and one of those pictures that appears to have its eye on Oscar glory. It looks gorgeous, Cooper is outstanding in the lead role, and both the sound and visuals are top notch, yet there’s that niggling feeling you’re watching a film aimed specifically at the judging panel of the Academy Awards.
At times, Maestro is one of those Hollywood movies about Hollywood people, doing Hollywood things. It’s a bit pretentious in places, parts of the story feel like they’ve been done before, and everyone has coiffed hair, posh accents, and talks a-mile-a-minute.
But if you don’t mind this aspect of the film, and you’re ready to get lost in the magnificence and majesty of Maestro, there is plenty to get your teeth into. Bradley Cooper not only commands the screen in the lead role, he has a firm hand behind the camera too, and his talents as actor, director, and screenwriter shine through.
Maestro is a carefully constructed picture, which moves its players around the screen effortlessly. The story zips from one era to the next, taking in key moments, and spending just enough time with its characters to build up little snapshots in time that feel quite magical.
The film pieces together the relationship between Bernstein and Felicia with some powerful scenes that light up the screen, and the interplay between the two is marvellous. While the movie covers a lengthy period in their lives, and it is built around segments here and there, it never feels like a patchwork piece.
The film also doesn’t feel weighted to one performance. While the aforementioned Cooper is superb at all times, becoming truly transformative, Carey Mulligan excels as Felicia, bringing an emotive performance which is likely to draw tears in places.
Where Maestro is a little less successful is in the examination of Bernstein’s homosexual relationships. His affairs with men are largely glossed over, with only a few mentions punctuating the picture.
With the movie hitting many of the right notes elsewhere, it does feel like a missed opportunity not to discuss this aspect of his life in more detail. It doesn’t need to become the focus, but simply suggesting he had relationships with men, then not exploring this a little further or in greater depth, does seem rather odd.
This missing section of Bernstein’s life doesn’t ruin the movie, but its inclusion could have enhanced what is on offer. Adding in a couple of extra scenes to flesh out this area would have benefited the film.
Despite a few grumbles, Maestro is an accomplished picture, and one which Cooper in particular should be proud of. Sure, it’s not going to be for everyone, and I imagine some may check out early doors, but those who stick with it will find it to be powerful stuff.
If you’re a fan of old school Hollywood movies, which boast glitz, glamour, and behind the curtain access to the lives of the rich and talented, then Maestro is for you. It is stirring stuff, with plenty of pomp in all the right places.
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