A portrait of Leonard Bernstein's singular charisma and passion for music as he rose to fame as America's first native born, world-renowned conductor, all along following his ambition to compose bo...
I was already irritated by director, star, and co-writer Bradley Cooper‘s Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro” less than two minutes in, when it became clear that this was a project created with the intention of appeasing awards voters instead of giving a comprehensive look at one of the most talented, successful, and important musicians in American history. This pretentious, clichéd, overly dramatic, and flimsy biopic is a textbook case of a filmmaker who is more in love with himself than his subject, and Cooper comes across as a wannabe “visionary” who is far too full of himself. He does a sad disservice to Bernstein, choosing to focus on the most boring, bland parts of his life rather than creating a fitting tribute to the legendary icon.
The film focuses on the love story between composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), starting with their first meeting, the starry-eyed period filled with irritating flirtatious banter, marriage, and the more tumultuous years that follow. It’s a chronicle of their relationship with a narrative that deteriorates into a lot of martial discord and eventually an overly dramatic display of theatrics as Felicia deals with a terminal illness.
This isn’t the type of film that’s a pleasure to watch, and it’s made even worse by Cooper’s exhausting, showy stylistic choices. The film features lots of Bernstein’s music but very little background about it, which will disappoint those looking for a more meaningful biopic. If you’re excited to watch a lot of arguing between a couple that’s filmed in the most contrived and gimmicky fashion, this will prove thrilling.
The lead performances are strong, and Cooper’s charismatic charm shines through. He’s a bit of a ham as Bernstein, and it feels too over the top even before the film’s second act. Mulligan gives a reliably solid (if showy) turn, but the performances get lost in the shuffle of this chore and bore of a film.
With “Maestro,” Cooper seems to have shifted his focus to winning an Oscar and subsequently forgotten to tell the audience anything meaningful about Leonard Bernstein or his legacy, which is a shame. This is a movie helmed by a director who thinks he’s making his masterpiece, but nobody appears willing to tell him that indeed he is not.
