Maestro

Maestro (2023)

Earning his 12th Oscar nomination (!!!) Bradley Cooper directs, co-writes and stars as Leonard Bernstein the celebrated conductor and composer of such American classics as West Side Story and On the Waterfront.

But hold your horses, the focus here isn’t the music legend’s accomplishments but on his love story with Felicia Montealegre. With a name like that she was never about to live an uncomplicated life.

In today’s more liberal terms we’d simply consider them to be having an open marriage and sip our tea. But here Cooper explores their enduring relationship which allowed him to have his dalliances with other men. It makes 1950s New York appear wonderfully forward thinking.

Spanning decades the aging-up make-up is impressive. You’d never question the elder Cooper. The de-aging still needs work though,  Hollywood. It’s not as bad here as in The Irishman but it still looks creepy.

Each actor gives an incredibly charming performance and I’ve come away quite enamoured by both of them. It’s rare these days that actors get to absolutely indulge in these types of characters whilst also being completely believable. Carey Mulligan is natural and disarmingly at ease in this role. Had this been the early 90s she’d be buying Oscar polish right now.

Cooper is such a good actors’ director with his lingering shots that are almost uncomfortably intimate. Just one reaction shot from Matt Bomer when he sees Leonard with Felicia for the first time tells us everything with only a forced smile on his beautiful face.

A good old fashioned film from an inventive filmmaker showcasing some very impressive performances.

8 Darling Thumbs Up 👍🏻