Maestro
Maestro
Starring Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Vincenzo Amato
Directed by Bradley Cooper
In 1943, Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) gets his big break when he's asked to conduct the New York Philharmonic after the other conductor falls ill. He's met with rousing applause that propels his career into becoming one of the most famed and respected conductors in music history. Behind the scenes he was involved with clarinetist David Oppenheim (Matt Bomer) before he meets actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), and the two begin a whirlwind romance that resulted in marriage and the births of their three children. As the years progressed Leonard continued to hide his homosexuality while occasionally succumbing to his desires that creates a rift between himself and Felicia, while his fame and popularity continued to grow.
The Good:
Bradley Cooper shines both as director and star, something he did with effortless ease in "A Star is Born" as well. He portrays Bernstein as a troubled man who's also inflated by his own hubris, a conflicted soul who truly loved Felicia with everything but also loved his homosexual lifestyle as well, which continually came at odds. You sense the passion and determination in Cooper's eyes as he plays the role to perfection, spending six years studying how to conduct perfectly which culminated in one of the film's shining moments - a six-minute recreation of Bernstein's leading of the London Symphony Orchestra in Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony No., 2 in 1973. It's unflinching how the camera pans around, and you feel the electricity coursing through Bernstein as he relishes in his crowning achievement.
Likewise, Carey Mulligan electrifies the screen as Bernstein's lovelorn Felicia, a woman who's no shrinking violet. She's headstrong and determined, and also a woman who deeply loves her man despite his many flaws. She sticks by him when she catches him with other men, but this isn't a Tammy Wynette "Stand By Your Man" woman. She berates him for his choices and stands toe-to-toe against him in certain situations, but ultimately their love wins out in the end and when she's stricken with lung cancer he stays by her side. Mulligan is an oft-underlooked actress who will hopefully receive her just dues this time around.
The film could've fallen into the entirety of the generic biopic where it just glosses over everything in a static visual feel, and while it does so in the first, the second aspect is something much different. Cooper utilized a string of Oscar-nominated behind the scenes talent to make his film pop, including director of photography Mathew Libatique who shoots the first half of the film in high-contrast black and white that gives a reminiscent feel of the 1940s before exploding in full Technicolor wonder as the years progress. The editing work from Michelle Tesoro also makes it feel more fluid and gives a deeper pace to the story. Costume designer Mark Bridges gives the actors glorious outfits to work with, especially Carey Mulligan. All this helps with the monotony of telling a biopic story.
The Bad:
That being said, the overall story glosses over several aspects of Bernstein's life, once again giving it a Wikipedia feel that is mostly associated with biopics. Maybe I'm just jaded in that area, but I felt like there could've been deeper meanings behind Bernstein's events in life.
There was also some controversy in casting Cooper in the role, since Bernstein was Jewish and Cooper isn't. He even had a prosthetic nose to make him look "Jewish," and while the Bernstein family wholly approved of it, others - especially in the Jewish community - were understandably outraged by it.
The Summary:
Although it does tell the generic biopic story, "Maestro" is heightened by Bradley Cooper's performance on screen and especially his detailed directing behind the scenes to make a more entertaining biopic than most out there.
The Score: A+
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