Maestro - A Movie Review

The concert is about to begin.

Maestro is a 2023 film about the life of Leonard Bernstein. The story chronicles Bernstein’s career and his love story with his wife, Felicia Montealegre. As his music career grows, his relationship with his wife becomes tense.

The only detail that Meastro details is the accomplished life of the late Leonard Bernstein. While the film attempts to provide a comprehensive overview of the composer's journey, it struggles to weave these moments into a cohesive and engaging narrative.

Bradley Cooper is a sensation in his portrayal of Leonard Bernstein. I forgot that it was Cooper. That’s how amazing he is! He concentrated on the authenticity of his portrayal, performing as an exceptional maestro. Cooper watched a tremendous amount of footage to replicate Bernstein’s talent from archive footage.

Other than that, there’s not enough depth to the character. His personal life was complicated. The film should have studied his personal affairs, like his sexual orientation. The story focuses on the most uninteresting parts of this life.

As Felicia Montealagre, Carey Mulligan never fails to impress. Felicia is quick to stand her ground. The film aims for a subtle approach to their relationship. The pair navigate the complexities of their relationship which underwent strains due to Bernstein’s career and sexuality. That angle is never fully explored either.

I was not expecting Sarah Silverman to appear in this film. This isn’t the type of film I’d expect to see her in and I am impressed. Maya Hawke also stars as one of Bernstein’s kids. Other credits include Matt Bomer, Vincenzo Amato, Greg Hildreth, Michael Urie, and more.

If only the story was as memorable as the acting. The story is scattered, failing to execute a thorough connection in Bernstein’s life. It felt like your average composure story. Cooper should have immersed audiences in Bernstein’s life to elevate the film. I wanted to connect with these characters.

The movie doesn’t become a story until well into the third act when Felicia is diagnosed with cancer. Mulligan courageously portrayed Felicia’s fierce battle with cancer. Scenes are difficult to watch at times because of their accurate depiction of cancer. It was heartwarming how the family put on shows for Felicia to make her feel better.

Aside from acting as the famous maestro, Cooper was also the director. Most days, Cooper was so occupied with scenes that he mimed directions to camera operators. Maestro has been in the making for well over five years. Originally, Steven Spielberg was set to direct but he was impressed by Cooper’s direction on A Star is Born.

We are given front seats to his concerts which are filmed beautifully. The cinematography captures the breathtaking orchestra scenes. The makeup team was also busy constructing a prosthetic nose for Cooper and designing old-age makeup.

The music radiates the atmosphere of what the film is all about. Several of Bernstein’s classical songs are in the film like, ‘Palm 23 from Chichester Palms,’ and the prologue from the famous film, West Side Story. It would have been a worthy choice to invest in Bernstein’s process for his tunes but that is also glossed over.

Directorial choices contribute to the disjointed feel of the film, as scenes transition abruptly without a smooth narrative flow. The pacing, at times, feels erratic. Cooper needed a deliberate approach to the narrative to smooth out scene transitions.

Maestro is up for a few Oscar nominations. This film was not finished in my book and doesn’t address anything significant about Bernstein. If you want check out the film on Netflix during Oscar season.