Maestro

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Cary Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Sarah Silverman, Maya Hawke, Vincenzo Amato, Michael Urie
Directed by: Bradley Cooper
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2023

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) lives an unconventional life with his wife (Carey Mulligan) over decades of increasing fame.

Review:

Tim: There's no doubt that Bradley Cooper poured everything he had into Maestro. As a writer, director, and star, this is a passion project that he willed into existence and worked tirelessly to complete. It's an impressive film, a movie that further cements Cooper as one of the most talented working in Hollywood today. He's a force. However, I personally feel like Maestro falls just short of greatness. It's an especially good film that features great performances, but this doesn't extend to the entire film. It's always odd, watching movies that have so much greatness in them, yet aren't quite great themselves.

Where to start? The positives or the negatives? Let's start with the things I loved. I have to admit, while I was familiar with Leonard Bernstein's name, I was embarrassingly unversed in the actual details of his life. This movie pulled away much of the fog so that I better understand the man. However, I was a bit surprised that the movie is mostly concerned with his personal relationships. That makes sense from a character-driven, dramatic perspective. However, as the film goes on and things become messier, we lose a bit of insight into the genius behind his work. Sure, we get great composing scenes and we hear people praise Bernstein, but the movie is short on diving into what made him so accomplished, why he was a genius. It felt like the film got caught up in his fame, not in what made him famous in the first place (and held him there for so many decades). I suppose this paragraph is handling both sides- I loved the insight into Bernstein the man, but I lamented the script overly focused on the messy relationships and not enough on his work. This has happened in numerous biopics over the years. You need to balance both sides and this film ultimately misses out on the sweet spot. It needed to explore more of his accomplishments.

On a more positive note, Cooper delivers one of the best performances I've seen in many years as Bernstein. I honestly struggle with the words to describe how he disappears into this character, brings the complex, brilliant Bernstein to life. I know there was some controversy about using a prosthetic nose, but I felt like it was done tastefully and it allowed me to forget I was watching Cooper and focus on the character. I think he made the right choice there. It's not just that, though- his mannerisms, how he alters his speaking voice- Cooper did astounding work recreating this man on screen. He absolutely deserves an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. This is all before the soon-to-be-legendary composing scene, famously described as "Cooper practiced for six years for a six minute scene". I don't know the reality of that statement and I don't really care- the scene itself is breathtaking, a stunningly physical, masterful performance of a brilliant man at the top of his game, performing flawlessly, performing a task most of us don't fully understand. It's the kind of scene you watch to watch on repeat, just to marvel at what this actor was able to accomplish on screen. Cooper likely won't win Best Actor, but I believe despite what the Academy chooses, he'll have an argument that his performance is one for the ages. He was fantastic.

Carey Mulligan is so good, too. I know that feels like a bit of a letdown after my gushing Cooper paragraph. Mulligan always turns in these exceptionally fine performances that, like Meryl Streep, we all have become a bit numb to her greatness. She doesn't get the limelight as much as Cooper, but she gets a ton of screen time and helps us to understand this complicated character better. There's many close-ups, where Cooper the director allows Mulligan the time to display her prodigious talent. Mulligan will likely be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and I believe the recognition is more than warranted. I admit, I've never really loved Mulligan on screen- I'm not sure what it is about her. However, I recognize her talent and what she accomplishes on screen here.

It's hard to consider anyone else in the cast, because Cooper and Mulligan are so powerfully front-and-center. I thought Matt Bomer gave an excellent performance, much more heartfelt and emotional than you'd expect, given his screen time. Sarah Silverman was solid, although it's always surprising to see she has talent as an actress, not just a comedienne. I really enjoyed Maya Hawke here, too. It feels like Hawke is destined for big things in Hollywood and she makes everything she's in better. Her role here was small, but effective.

The cast is truly wonderful and Cooper gives them plenty of opportunity to showcase their talent. This is an actors' movie for certain. The story and script are strong, but I certainly had more qualms on that side. Technically, the film is brilliant- the score, the cinematography, it's all beautifully pulled together and you recognize the care and effort it took to craft this film. I'd mentioned the emphasis on relationship over work that I felt was a bit out of alignment. The movie isn't overly long at 2 hours, 9 minutes, but it certainly could have been a bit tighter. As the film goes on, Bernstein's relationships get messier, but the characters speak too subtly about it. I wanted more straightforward dialogue- several times I asked, "What exactly is the issue here?" I could guess, but I wanted a more direct approach from the script. I felt like this was an issue with the script as a whole- what was it truly saying about Bernstein? I don't think it had a clear vision. Of course, I understand the character better as a result of watching this movie, but what was the point of it all? It felt like Cooper directed a series of impressive scenes, wonderful moments that he never quite tied all together effectively enough. It's the kind of film where you marvel at the performances and like everything else. For me, that suggested a very good, yet not-quite-great film.

I know Maestro is one of the best reviewed films of the year and it'll undoubtedly receive a bunch of Academy Award nominations, likely Best Picture as well. I'm a fan of the film and I'll applaud any recognition it gets. For me, this film is a reminder that Cooper is perennially underrated, despite all his Academy Awards and acclaim- he's been nominated for 9 Academy Awards in a host of categories. But, he's never won. That is a crime, because he's one of the most talented writer/director/actors in Hollywood. This is a film that should be praised and is incredibly effective. Who cares if I didn't quite find the whole movie great?

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5



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