Bradley Cooper brings his voice to a soprano level of artistry, using synonyms and an intricate sentence structure while sticking to the original message. Maestro is an incredibly powerful biopic about Leonard Bernstein that also conveys the same meaning as its source text. This film follows the career of a man who was not only great at conducting; he could also compose music and teach others how to do it too! His marriage with Felicia Montealegre Cohn adds another layer to this already complex story. Bradley Cooper directs this movie himself; additionally acting in it as well as co-writing part of its script – talk about wearing many hats! The stunning visuals throughout Maestro combined with thunderous scores make up for an Oscar-winning performance that shows years passing by through believable aging effects applied on top of prosthetics.… However, all these showy tricks can’t compare with eternal love driving through stories here, there, and everywhere around them. A sad third act stays with you because it tells the truth about losing someone so close.
Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) sits smoking a cigarette at his piano. He coughs while struggling to play before a reporter and camera crew who hang on every note. Lenny looks down at his hands–which have become so wrinkled–and thinks about his three children. David’s death hits him hard but in different ways than theirs did” How I wish they’d known her better.” Suddenly the screen goes black-and-white, and the aspect ratio narrows into classic letterbox format: Young Lenny jumps out of bed with lover David Oppenheim (Matt Bomer) and answers the ringing telephone–his big break has come! Bruno Walter New York Philharmonic got sick Can I conduct tonight without rehearsal?
The camera tracks Lenny from overhead as he runs out of the artist’s studio above Carnegie Hall. Skipping, jumping up and down in jubilee until the balcony comes into view, throwing hands theatrically up into the air, is instantly conducting. Violinists bounce with each emphatic stroke before erupting applause, Lenny turns around to take it all in. It was just as he’d imagined. David reads him a glowing review from the front page of the New York Times, then the phone rings with another offer. He’s not sure if his talents are meant for scoring movies but I’ll worry about that later. Let the good times roll.
Weeks later, after bus drops her off alone short walk to the party suburbs. She smokes and drinks, and laughs at a raucous rager Shirley Bernstein (Sarah Silverman) introduces her to everyone at the party eyes lock across a crowded room with a vivacious young man playing piano they talk excitedly outside on the porch she smiles when he offers to accompany home drive.
Maestro starts off like a shot out of cannon within minutes Lenny and Felicia are already painting the town red prancing gazelles on stage big dance number of sailors twist from On the Town but the camera lingers on the chiseled body handsome dancer looks back at him and realizes this isn’t where lust is directed fun turns serious Cooper’s change dramatic one moment playful flirtatious next indelible character creative process sexual proclivities were for Lennie so f accepts that need as something she cannot fight against them beginning life together acknowledging his queer dalliances allowed paramount discretion would prove problematic children fame grows
The second act of Maestro explores the couple’s relationship with each other as they hide their true feelings from the world. His incredible talent was only surpassed by Lenny’s insatiable sexual appetite. Music was a faucet he could never close. He would spend hours alone writing, but then have enough energy for days conducting and teaching. Shaping the minds of his students brought him immense joy. They, along with everyone else, loved him to a quiet annoyance. Creativity and genius were not how Lenny saw himself. Pleasing people was what he loved to do but he grew uncomfortable with their adoration.
Felicia shared this darkness but for different reasons. Eventually, she began to resent Lenny’s parade of lovers out of jealousy. It wasn’t embarrassment that fueled her anger towards them though; every fiber in Felicia adored him. She wanted that passion which he freely gave others so often. Lenny never thought about her as an afterthought but took her for granted subconsciously still placing too much importance on himself above all else including ignorance being calculated or uncalculated both equally painful in effect without intent behind it hurting just as bad if not worse than any other kind would’ve been possible Mulligan plays brilliantly against type here as a woman caught between two worlds one foot firmly planted within herself while straining desperately toward something outside herself anything beyond where she currently finds stranded betwixt between nowhere near either side yet somehow always managing remain squarely atop neither nor any other point situated betwixt between albeit this position may seem impossible mulligan captures ennui perfectly making decision difficult how can you walk away person who defines your happiness
Two technical aspects elevate Maestro above most films released this year: Matthew Libatique’s (Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan) cinematography and Kazu Hiro’s (Pan’s Labyrinth) makeup design work wonders under Cooper’s direction by turning what could have been mere showiness into deep character development moments that hit you in the gut. Maestro is like eating a pie – it starts off all sugary and sweet, then suddenly becomes dense and meaty. We see Lenny and Felicia’s decades together for what they truly were: sex, drugs, infidelity behind the veil of success. But the most powerful scenes are those colored full-frame shots indicating later years where we see them still together loving each other unconditionally through thick and thin sickness health etcetera.
Mulligan is fucking amazing in this movie I swear to God there won’t be a dry eye left in the house she deserves every award known to demand more scripts with her name at top billing Cooper is already being celebrated as an actor and now has propelled himself into Hollywood royalty by directing Maestro ontop six hours makeup every day while filming acting Leonard Bernstein would’ve been very proud himself
The accusations against Cooper for having an antisemitic nose are absolutely outrageous and untrue this was done so that he could change his voice to sound more like Leonard Bernstein those people who call themselves critics should wait until they’ve actually seen the movie before opening their mouths ABOUT IT
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