Maestro

 

★★★★★

Ambitious is the first word that comes to mind when describing Maestro. For only his second feature film, Bradley Cooper has taken on a larger-than-life figure in composer Leonard Bernstein, & made something as grandiose as the man himself. But does it succeed in capturing him?

The film follows Bernstein (Bradley Cooper), a young assistant conductor with the New York Philharmonic in the early 1940s. One morning, he is awoken to hear that the regular conductor has become sick & that he must take the stage. He does so to rousing success.

Flash-forward a few years, & Leonard finds himself at a party playing piano. It is there he locks eyes with young Felicia Montealegre Cohn (Carey Mulligan), an aspiring actress. Flash-forward a few more, & the two are married, with three children: Jamie (Maya Hawke), Alexander (Sam Nivola), & Nina (Alexa Swinton).

All during this time, Leonard has made a huge name for himself. He has conducted major works such as On the Town, Candide, & West Side Story, succeeding both on the Broadway stage & the Philharmonic Orchestra. Felicia succeeds during this time as well, booking roles on both Broadway & on the small screen.

But as his sister Shirley (Sarah Silverman) says to Felicia, "There's a price for being in my brother's orbit." Leonard has multiple affairs, many of them with other men like musician David Oppenheim (Matt Bomer). Can the marriage between Leonard & Felicia survive? Or will it crumble under pressure from infidelity & ego?

Bradley Cooper is not just portraying Leonard Bernstein; he becomes him. There is a ferocity in his performance that is nearly unparalleled in recent memory. From the biggest emotions to the most minute details, & all the many flaws of the man in between, Cooper transforms into the performance.

Carey Mulligan is phenomenal. It is just as much her film as it is Cooper's (she even receives top billing over Cooper in the film's credits). She is no simple wife who suffers under her husband's ego. She is fully-fledged & ferocious. Her chemistry with Cooper is sublime.

Cooper's ambitious direction is filled to the brim with style & substance. It's both bombastic & intimate; the rapturous performances of Bernstein's conducting contrast perfectly with the Cassavetian depiction of married life & all the love & anger there within. And there is a real emotional core here, with Cooper letting the story drive the emotion instead of going the easy way of tactless emotional manipulation.

The screenplay by Cooper & Josh Singer manages to stuff so much into the film's two-hour-plus runtime while giving ample time to breathe. The storyline's focus on character over plot is perfect for such an imposing figure, while also making all those standard biopic cliches feel fresh again.

Matthew Libatique's gorgeous cinematography shifts between color & black-&-white, between Academy ratio & classic widescreen. The use of color is especially gorgeous, with the entire palette being used, but the use of reds & browns sticking out most.

Michelle Tesoro's editing is a masterclass in transitions. The use of match cuts is just spectacular.

The sound design impeccably depicts the beautiful music on display. One scene in particular that uses Mahler's Resurrection Symphony is something to behold.

And the makeup & hairstyling is nothing short of transformational. Not only does it make the actors unrecognizable from how we see them, but even the subtlest of changes help establish the characters.

The emotion, the ambition, & the talent on display make this one of the best films of the year. It's so rare that a biopic like this comes along & truly captures its subject, warts & all, with such aplomb & care at the same time.

Maestro is in theaters now & on Netflix December 20. Its runtime is 129 minutes, & it is rated R for some language & drug use.