Maestro is the second feature film directed by Bradley Cooper. He stars as Leonard Bernstein, alongside a wonderful Carey Mulligan who plays Bernstein’s wife Felicia Montealegre. Though Cooper starred, directed, and co-wrote (with Josh Singer) Maestro, Carey Mulligan is the film’s centerpiece. Several biopics in 2023, namely Priscilla and Napoleon, have focused intently on a relationship rather than the achievements of the main characters. This serves Maestro and Carey Mulligan well as she gives an incredible performance, moving throughout the decades from a spry young actress to a brittle aging woman. Cooper matches her brilliance by playing an energetic Bernstein who shows his love for his wife but also explores the sexuality of the composer who had many exploits with other men during and after his marriage.
Continue reading “Review: ‘Maestro’: An Ambitious Portrait with Missed Notes on Execution”
