Maestro (2023)

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/maestro-venice-film-festival-review-bradley-cooper-is-a-certified-talented-filmmaker/ "Maestro exceeds expectations, certifying Bradley Cooper as a filmmaker with innate talent, just like Leonard Bernstein, who the former portrays brilliantly. An inspirational biopic focused on an exponentially compelling romance elevated by emotionally genuine performances filled with intensely, passionately authentic interactions. Carey Mulligan joins the actor/director in the race for awards with a remarkable, spectacular display that will bring tears…

CinemaSerf

6.0

Dec 5, 2023

I don't know if maybe "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2018) or "Rocketman" (2019) have made me a bit immune to the rather hedonistic lifestyles of the musical rich and famous, but I found this beautifully photographed depiction of the life of the enigmatic Leonard Bernstein to be remarkably tame. The monochrome presentation is glorious to look at, but the narrative is weak, I found. Carey Mullian, his long-suffering wife Felicia Montealegre is easily the most meritorious of praise here. She portrays the increasingly frustrated, betrayed yet still loving woman with a strength and subtlety that is really e…

A great talent deserves a great biopic. Regrettably, in the case of the late conductor/composer/musician Leonard Bernstein, he doesn’t get it. Writer-actor-director Bradley Cooper has made a film that I’m sure he thinks of as his cinematic masterpiece when, in fact, it comes across more like a tribute to the filmmaker’s own ego than as an homage to his subject. Perhaps the biggest problem here is the screenplay, which can never really decide if it wants to be a litany of the accomplishments of the artist (Cooper) or a love story between him and his adoring wife, Felicia (Carey Mulligan). The c…