Maestro

I went to Maestro expecting a film that would chronicle the life of one of America's, if not the world's, great composer/conductors. I've seen Leonard Bernstein many, many times, starting at age 8 when my grandfather took me to Bernstein's music for kids on Saturday mornings at Lincoln Center. I had no idea who he was at the time, only that people called him Lenny. My grandpa took me to meet him and he was spellbinding. I remember him looking right threw me with his expressive eyes.

He loved kids and loved to teach them about music. Turns out grandpa and Lenny went to Harvard together, hence I got a personal introduction. Bernstein is the guy that got me hooked on classical music and music in general, but I didn't learn anything about his musical career, his childhood, his years at Harvard, his work in Europe, who inspired him, etc.

The making of West Side Story is really interesting (if you know the story) but nothing about it in this film and I mean "nothing.; We get a tiny glimpse of Candide, but nothing about its composition or insight into the Maestro's process. We get zero insight into his Missa Brevis, perhaps on the highlights of his career.

Bradley Cooper blew me away. I've seen Lenny up close many times and I've talked to him a few times. Cooper nailed it, and the scene at St John of the Divine is probably one of the greatest musical scenes ever captured on film. Cooper's conducting is simply amazing. He worked very very hard to capture the speech, mannerisms, and the Bernstein attitude and texture toward music. I cannot speak highly enough of Cooper's performance, but we get so little insight into the musician, and that was so disappointing.

Carey Mulligan? Her performance is nothing less than spectacular, in fact all the acting is extraordinary, but it's not a story. The Bernstein children really have nothing to do in this film, and I have no idea why Lenny's sister was included as she has very little to say or do. Overall, a very perplexing film ... not sure what he was going for. In fact, I kept waiting for it to start. The emphasis was all on style, and believe me, it's beautiful to look at.

A struggling musician agonized by his own genius, talents, and creativity and trapped in loveless marriage filled with guilt. Both look the other way while one has an affair and realize the importance of one's own partner too late. Right now, at the top of my head I can think of 'Fosse/Verdon', 'A Star Is Born', 'George & Tammy', 'Walk the Line', 'Dreamgirls', 'Daisy Jones & The Six', and etc. (Wow, that's a lot.) Biographical genre is especially tricky because it has to excel the life of actual historical figures. 'Maestro' could have been so much better if it delved into the introspective and artistic side of Bernstein deeper or provided a different and fresh point of view on his life rather than reciting his personal life. His autobiography or research would be more fun and interesting than this explanatory movie.

There were a few futile attempts to make the movie look more artistic, abstract, and ambiguous. They failed because they serve no purpose but to look pretentious. White and black, camera movement, the use of light and shadows, and musical aspects. They are all good attempts, but for what? By doing so, is the story getting stronger? Do they enhance what viewers feel? Waste of time and films.

Bradley Cooper's performance is disappointing. He never acts; he imitates. When he's on the screen, we know clearly that he's acting. It's hard to be absorbed and immersed into the screen because he always pushes the audience away with his trying too hard. I get that he wants to emulate Bernstein's twangy voice. However, emotions and messages he delivers are more important than his likeness of Bernstein's tone, accent, sound, or mannerism. He focuses on what's outside of Bernstein rather than what would be inside of him. There is a 10 minute sequence of Cooper conducting, and it's screaming 'Look how good I am!!!'. It's one of the highest points for emotions to burst out for the audience, and I started to laugh.

Maestro (2023) seems a very flimsy "biography" of Leonard Bernstein. We learn just about nothing of his life. Music. Wife. Boys on the side. Other than that?

The film stars Bradley Cooper and a fake nose. He (Cooper, not the nose) also co-wrote, directed, and produced and is being hailed for his work and artistic ambition. Coincidentally, I'm reading Barbra Streisand's new 970-page memoir and in her section on Yentl, she recalls the reviews that lambasted her colossal ego to star in a film she also co-wrote, directed, and produced.

Anyway, I found Cooper's performance to be hysterically hammy (yes, I know Bernstein was flamboyant) and Mulligan's wife just plain annoying. Such self-centered people who were always "on." They were exhausting to watch ... but that's the whole film. There's no background material, Just them swanning about like characters out of Auntie Mame screaming "I was never in the chorus!"

This will likely reap a slew of Oscar nominations and Cooper will probably beat of DiCaprio and Cillian Murphy for best actor. Wry. Hold the ham!

Even with its 4 strong nominations at the Golden Globes (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress), I must say my appreciation of Cooper's new film is not as stellar, as organic and fantastic as A Star Is Born (2018) - 8 Oscar noms.

Netflix's firs real Oscar contender was Alfonso Cuarón's Roma (2018) which won 3 of its 10 nominations. Last year's Germany's remake of All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) was nominated for 9 Oscars and won 4. My all-time Netflix favorite is Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story which I rewatched recently. It is much better than that year's Best Picture co-nominee Martin Scorsese's The Irishman (2019) which was still as solid movie. Neither won and Netflix's overall 8 Best Picture nominees did not win since a decade at the Oscars.

This year, Scorsese produces Maestro (2023) with Spielberg, but his own slow burn of a movie Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) has more flair yet not a Netflix production (he produces it with DiCaprio). I think this year's Netflix better picture is Todd Haynes's May December (2023 - also nominated for 4 Golden Globes). So why did Bradley Cooper not exactly deliver?

Carey Mulligan's performance is certainly good, yet his directing lacks the creation of intimacy like he did with Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born. Most interactions are superficial, and you have to wait until the 75th minute to see the first powerful scene with strong dialogue and directing. The intro scenes are compelling up until the two main characters meet, but I found the rest of the first hour a mess. The second half of the film is surely better yet lacks urgency or dramatic tension in directing, even in the hospital scene. There is also a shortage of real wisdom or realisation in the script. We are left with a light and superficial understanding of the two main characters, even to the point where their respective love for music and acting and their love for each other is not really felt. Nolan's Oppenheimer (2023) was much more successful in that aspect and Emily Blunt's performance.

Cooper's acting also lacked some charm in my view, save perhaps a few scenes like in the end when he teaches a young conductor.

Finally, Cooper's directing choices for cinematography left the very talented Matthew Libatique with not much to work with. In Black & White, 4:3 aspect ratio or even 16:9 color, few scenes seem to tell the story like a more claustrophobic The Whale (2022) was able to with his Darren Aronofsky collaboration. Libatique was nominated for an Oscar for his work with Aronofsky's fantastic Black Swan (2011) and with Cooper's sublime A Star is Born (2018).

Better luck next time Coop! Good effort. 6.5/10.

We can still see growth, grit and gusto, but misses the mark as a whole.

We don't know much about Leonard Bernstein. We didn't learn why he wanted to be a composer or how he got in the business. His relationship wasn't very clear either. He's bisexual, but that doesn't go anywhere. His wife isn't explained much either other than being a stage actress. We don't know much about his children. The timelines aren't clear when the movie takes place. It seems to start in the 50s other than the opening scene of him as an old man. I do like Bradley Cooper's performance, but not much comes from the character. We don't know what made him famous since he was already famous before his memorable score in On the Waterfront.