Maestro Movie Review Netflix: Immersive and Emotionally All-Encompassing Experience
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer
Director: Bradley Cooper
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 3.5/5 (three and a half stars)
Maestro is the new film directed by and starring Bradley Cooper presented as a preview in the competition at the 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival. After A Star is Born, Cooper returns with another film about music, this time focusing on the famous conductor Leonard Bernstein. Among the various production companies, there are important names in cinema such as Sikelia Production. Among the other producing names, Amblin Production, a production company founded by Steven Spielberg, particularly stands out. The film is also produced by Lea Pictures and will arrive globally on Netflix on December 20. Maestro is a commanding and fearless love story that traces the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.
Maestro is not only a declaration of love to life and art but essentially an emotionally epic depiction of family and love. After A Star is Born, Bradley Cooper returns behind the camera for this hymn to Bernstein’s life, to his love for his work and his family. Once again, a poignant and touching love story that, through this Netflix biopic, takes us into a world made of music. Maestro is the second film that Cooper directed. After the success of A Star is Born (2018), also presented at the Lido, the actor returns behind the camera showing his artistic maturity and the elegance that distinguishes him. Written by Cooper together with Josh Singer, the film is also produced by Spielberg and Scorsese and distributed by Netflix.
Maestro Movie Review Netflix: The Story Plot
Maestro tells the life of the musician Leonard Bernstein, composer of, among many titles, West Side Story. Despite being a biopic, Cooper – who plays the protagonist – freely draws inspiration from the author’s life to create a film that also leaves room for other aspects outside of music. At the center is the relationship between Leonard and the actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan – A Promising Woman, Drive). At the beginning of the story, through a glossy 35 mm (4:3) black and white film, we witness the meeting between the two and their creative partnership. We are then shown the couple’s career and family growth. The passing years follow one another in a series of sequences that flow on the screen alternating with music and cigarettes. Then comes a range of changing colors that visually fill the screen. This also leads to the passing of the baton: as the story takes shape, we realize that the protagonist of the story is Felicia. Cooper seems to gradually take steps back to make room for the acting greatness of Carey Mulligan.
Maestro does not focus primarily on his vast musical output, his historical accomplishments, or his musical genius. As in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, a feature film dedicated to Elvis Presley’s ex-wife, the music takes a back seat. The true narrative fulcrum of Maestro is the love story between Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). A bond that lasts throughout her life, regretted by him, now a widower, at the beginning of the film. The relationship between the young Leonard and Felicia is based on an implicit lie that the composer wants to hide from the world, of which she is silently aware: he is attracted to men. Maestro does not investigate why the conductor decided to hide his sexuality, nor does he explain the path that led him years later, after his notoriety, to reveal himself publicly, putting his relationship with his wife at risk. Instead, he focuses on her behavior and the two protagonists continue to mediate their love relationship, without ever moving away completely, until her death.
Maestro Movie Review Netflix and Analysis
In Leonard and Felicia’s relationship, however, there has always been a third wheel, even more than one. Leonard’s previous relationships, which in the film do not hide his homosexuality and music. All relationships are united together, like glue which agitates and heals Bernstein’s heart at the same time. The performances of Cooper and Mulligan only make the film even more enjoyable. With the use of makeup, Leonard Bernstein comes to life as the actor and director who could have earned an Oscar nomination with this performance. The chaotic yet highly ironic and theatrical character works well on the big screen and his story reaches the viewer’s heart. In its total duration of two hours, Bernstein’s life takes several turns. A man so temperamentally bulky that he takes up the whole room and inevitably overshadows his wife – who is also part of the world of entertainment.
But capable of taking a step back, putting aside her internal crisis to remain at his wife’s bedside in her time of need. Even the title, Maestro, is a true act of love for the couple. But without neglecting Lenny’s fluidity which makes him a modern character today. He seems ambiguous and extroverted both in relationships and in music, able to win you over with a look or through the direction of one of his pieces. Always a source of great inspiration for her husband, Felicia Montealegre accompanied him, supported but also protected him from everything and everyone. A shoulder and a life partner on whom you can rely and on whom the final part of the film is focused. The illness that consumes her and that also consumes Lenny who once again stifles his cries inside a pillow. Following the death of his wife, the flashback is almost over and the telling of the story of the older version of her character becomes lost and fluid, as if without her every day was the same.
Cooper proved himself to be up to the task of his second directorial by implementing cinematographic techniques, but the film was a collective achievement, and it took a significant production effort from the entire crew to make it happen. The work served to bring to the stage one of the most extravagant personalities who has spanned the decades with his music and who we will continue to sing to the rhythm of New York New York. The technical aspects reach very high peaks which show the skill of Bradley Cooper who, as never before in this film, demonstrates his versatility. Aesthetically it enhances 360° beauty, with photography that can range from black and white to colour. It is impossible not to refer to the harmony and synergy that is established between the two protagonists who give us Oscar-worthy performances. Leonard and Felicia are two talented but deeply human artists who also deal with their weaknesses.
The cinematography of the film is entrusted to Matthew Libatique, already director of photography on other films such as the collaborations with Darren Aronofsky in Pi Greco, Black Swan, and The Whale but also for Cooper’s previous work A Star is Born. The editing is handled by Michelle Tesoro who has worked mainly on television productions such as The Queen of Chess or House of Cards. The scenography was designed by Kevin Thompson who has worked on other Netflix productions such as The Woman in the Window or Okja while the costumes by Mark Bridges have appeared in The Fabelmans, News from the World, The Hidden Thread, Joker and Licorice Pizza; in this film, both costumes and scenography work together perfectly to transport us to the 60s. The sound is handled by Steven Morrow and Dean Zupancic who have already worked with Cooper on the set of his first film. The musical part is by Maestro Leonard Bernstein, where his exact music composed by an orchestra is used.
It must be considered that Maestro is a film that mainly speaks to two worlds, that of classical music lovers who may be intrigued by the life of the well-known conductor, and that of the American public. We notice how the project is packaged specifically for the awards season, not a flaw in its entirety, but the approach used by Cooper is such that although everything seems extremely well packaged, it turns out to be extremely forgettable. Films of this kind, like others in the recent history of cinema, are therefore a well-executed task, but devoid of that recognizable authorship that should characterize a certain type of film. A work that is extremely – and even unfairly – too self-referential to be considered among the best audiovisual products of the year. The jewel in the crown of the entire film is the performance of Carey Mulligan who steals the scene every time she is present even with a look – even though it is in itself problematic to have a British actress play a woman and actress like Montealegre who was of Costa Rican origin.
The last conducting scene is excellent, where Bernestein’s music reigns supreme. The film is shot with the double technique of color and black and white, as already present in Blonde. The historical part is narrated in black and white, when the work done on West Side Story is shown it begins to take on color. The film also has several interesting characters such as Bomer, Cooper’s first love interest in the film, who is soon set aside for his affair with Montealegre, the theme of Bernstein’s bisexuality, thus remains extremely in the background, despite having been one of the fundamental aspects of his life. Thus, another problem of contemporary cinema returns, in which bisexuality is almost completely set aside, almost as if it does not exist. Cooper delivers one of his longest works to Netflix which narrates one of the passions that has accompanied him since he was a child: opera and classical music, with a film that will surely be appreciated by lovers of this genre of music or by those who love discovering new artists.
The show is completely stolen by Mulligan and Cooper as in A Star is Born, he managed to have the show stolen again by a big star of the show. Maestro is a biopic about one of America’s best-known conductors. The cast is well organized and complete but among all the actors the one who steals the show is Carey Mulligan. Cooper’s direction, here in his second work, is in some respects still immature and in others certainly well managed with well-made close-ups. The use of black and white combined with color is interesting, the use of the soundtrack which comes directly from Bernstein’s production is also very beautiful. In conclusion, a film made exclusively for the awards season but extremely self-referential, a characteristic that makes it a task well done, but at the same time extremely forgettable.
Maestro Movie Review Netflix: The Last Words
Maestro is an immersive and emotionally all-encompassing experience that gives us a series of delicate suggestions. The veneer of perfection is broken by the ghosts and shadows of life that suddenly loom. A film that suffers a little from its slowness, also due to its duration (some cuts would have made the viewing more linear). Despite this, the Maestro knows how to excite, and while the orchestra plays our heartbeats increase. Maestro is an act of love that praises union, talent, and creativity. Bradley Cooper shows us, never before in this film, that he is multifaceted. He experiments with various formats from 35mm black and white film to iridescent colours. This is not a cold and boring biopic, on the contrary, the level of empathy for the characters is very high. A story of joy and pain filtered through a delicate patina and staged by two artists, Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan, who know how to excite the spectator with the sound of music.
Maestro Movie Review Netflix: Immersive and Emotionally All-Encompassing Experience - Filmyhype
Director: Bradley Cooper
Date Created: 2023-12-20 19:46
3.5
Pros
- Bradley Cooper's electrifying performance: Cooper channels Bernstein's intensity, passion, and vulnerability with remarkable accuracy, making the maestro come alive on screen. He even handles the singing and conducting duties admirably.
- A feast for the senses: The film is a visual and auditory treat, with lush cinematography capturing the beauty of New York City and Bernstein's vibrant world. The soundtrack, of course, is a masterpiece, showcasing Bernstein's genius and weaving seamlessly into the narrative.
- Emotional depth: "Maestro" doesn't shy away from Bernstein's inner struggles, exploring his complex relationships, artistic anxieties, and personal demons with emotional honesty. This adds depth and nuance to the portrayal.
- Spotlight on Bernstein's genius: The film effectively showcases Bernstein's immense talent and influence, not just as a composer but also as a conductor, pianist, and educator. It's a celebration of his creative spirit and lasting impact on the music world.
Cons
- Uneven pacing: The film's time jumps can be jarring, making it feel like certain periods of Bernstein's life are glossed over while others are stretched thin. This can leave some viewers feeling disoriented or wanting more from certain storylines.
- Character development could be deeper: While Cooper shines as Bernstein, some supporting characters feel underdeveloped, their motivations and relationships lacking complexity. This can make the emotional impact of certain scenes less resonant.
- Sanitized portrayal?: Some critics argue that the film downplays Bernstein's darker aspects, such as his personal struggles with addiction and sexuality. This raises questions about the film's faithfulness to the real-life maestro's complexities.
