“Maestro” Review
Bradley Cooper conducts his orchestra with incredible vigor as Leonard Bernstein in the music biopic “Maestro” which was also directed, coproduced and cowritten by Cooper in his second film as a director.
After surprising everyone with his directorial debut of “A Star is Born”, I just could not wait to see what Bradley Cooper’s next film would be. Five years later, this desire has come to fruition with Cooper examining the life of one of the all-time greatest composers/conductors/musicians of the 20th Century, Leonard Bernstein, in his sophomore effort “Maestro”. If this film and “A Star is Born” have proven anything, it’s that Bradley Cooper is a true master both in front of and behind the camera as this biopic not only does justice to Bernstein but also feels like a privilege to have witnessed.
Detailing the life of Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper), the film examines its subject as both an artist and a person through the incredible relationship with his wife Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), an actress of the stage and small screen. Through the years, this marriage sees many ups and downs as Leonard spends years grappling with his sexuality but, through it all, there is the strong feeling of love that Bernstein has for his wife and for his music.
When the great composers are brought up, quite a few of them have, in my eyes, been raised up by their contributions to film, television and modern theater. After all, I think it’s plain that people will continue to adore the genius of people like John Williams and Ennio Morricone for years to come. Leonard Bernstein most definitely fits in alongside those names and might even surpass them. With his contributions having included the scores for films like “West Side Story” and “On The Waterfront”, it’s clear why he’s held in such high regard. His career was continuously evolving and so full of achievement that any era from his life would make for a solid biopic. However, that’s not what I wanted from this film and that’s not what Bradley Cooper does. Instead of making a film about Bernstein’s career, Copper focuses on his personal life and makes one of the best examples of the music biopic I’ve seen in a while.
As much as I like films about musical artists like Elton John (“Rocketman”), Elvis Presley (“Elvis”) and Queen (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), the conventions of the music biopic can be as constraining as they are entertaining. After all, how many times can we see a musician go through the same motions of stardom set to a tracklist of their greatest hits and most famous/documented moments before we become bored? In the case of Leonard Bernstein, I don’t want to see a film where we just see all of the big moments from his career. I don’t need to see him write the score for “On The Waterfront” and I don’t need to see him cowrite the songs to “West Side Story” with Stephen Sondheim. While these incredible works are talked about and addressed, the film keeps its focus on its two leads and does so spectacularly.
While Bradley Cooper and his use of a prosthetic nose raised some controversy (controversy that, as someone who’s not Jewish, I am not prepared to tackle), his performance as Bernstein is perfect. He completely disappears into the role and all of the effort that he put into authentically portraying this great man has paid off. Apparently, it took Cooper six years of studying to learn how to conduct like Bernstein and it certainly shows just how seriously Cooper took this assignment. The passion that Bernstein has for music and life is constant and Cooper is able to depict that in a way that feels infectious. When Bernstein is commanding the orchestra with a big smile on his face as he’s confronted with musical ecstasy, you feel like smiling too. Whether he’s playing Bernstein as a 25-year-old or as an old man in his 70s, I never saw Bradley Cooper. I only saw Lenny.
Also impeccable in the film is Carey Mulligan who captivates in every scene she appears. As Felicia, Mulligan brings this dynamic persona that feels larger-than-life with the most charming accent but also has this intense relatability. Of course the relationship between her and Bernstein is going to be the central focus of “Maestro” but you also become invested in her own personal journey. Without even saying a word, Mulligan is able to just tear your heart out and force you to expose all of your true feelings and it's amazing to witness such power being exerted by such a talent.
Carey Mulligan’s performance as Felicia Montealegre is incredible and filled with such love and vulnerability.
A good deal of people know that, while he was married to a woman, Leonard Bernstein also had many affairs with men. While Cooper doesn’t shy away from Bernstein’s sexuality, these affairs and how they affected the marriage, he doesn’t make any labels or judgements. How could you when you’re playing a person who lived at a time where being gay was far more of a societal taboo than it is today? Instead, there’s a good deal of tenderness and humanity applied to these earnest, deep and sometimes harsh conversations that Felicia and Leonard have about conforming to a societal standard versus living your truth as well as examining their love. It’s obvious that they care about each other but what about Bernstein’s sexuality? Does he only desire Felicia emotionally? Does he only desire his male lovers physically? Can he even separate the two? “Maestro” never really answers these questions but that’s what I love about it. Cooper is inviting us to have a peek into the complex lives of these two people and allows us to make our own observations.
While these two powerhouse performances are the meat of “Maestro”, a few supporting roles also make quite an impact including Sarah Silverman as Leonard’s sister Shirley whose dry wit is so great that I’m convinced Silverman could play Fran Lebowitz if she really wanted to. Maya Hawke is also remarkable as Jaime Bernstein, the eldest child of Leonard and Felicia, who begins to suspect the double life that her father has been leading.
As director, Cooper really shines and the entire film is such a marvel to watch. Reuniting with cinematographer Matthew Libatique (who previously lensed “A Star is Born”), Cooper and Libatique make excellent use of both black-and-white (for sequences set in the 1940s and 50s) and color (for scenes set in the 1960s and onward) photography with each scene looking dazzling. Is there anything more beautiful than seeing tons of people smoking in moody black-and-white? Also, a good deal of the film is shot in the nearly square 4:3 aspect ratio. Combined with the many times Cooper and Libatique use frame-within-a-frame shot composition, “Maestro” really gives us the illusion that we as an audience are peering into the lives of these people.
Cooper also makes exceptional use of his talent as a screenwriter with Josh Singer (who previously wrote “Spotlight” and “The Post”) and really crafts a story that just floors me. The film does a fantastic job depicting how Bernstein’s life influenced his music, and vice-versa, and also takes some pretty creative routes to depict portions of his life. For example, during the early period of Felicia and Leonard’s relationship, she wants to see all of Leaonrd’s work. So, there’s a fantasy musical sequence set to the score of “On The Town” (composed by Bernstein) where Leonard is joined by other men dressed as sailors and there’s this wonderful dance sequence that not only showcases the rush of new love but also serves to foreshadow the complications in their love-life.
Further fueling the love Bradley Cooper has for Leonard Bernstein is the film’s score which is entirely made up of Bernstein tracks that Cooper picked because no one in their right mind would want another composer to take on Bernstein. It would be a slaughter. Not only does Cooper pick the Bernstein compositions that sound great but they also are used effectively in lieu of dialogue to explain certain dynamics. This is especially evident with the use of the prologue from “West Side Story”.
With incredible passion and focus, Bradley Cooper has made a music biopic that serves as an incredible glimpse into its subject’s life. While I would hate to have to wait another five years for another Bradley Cooper directed film, if his third effort is as good as “A Star is Born” and “Maestro”, it will be worth it.
