Maestro
Release poster
Directed byBradley Cooper
Written by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMatthew Libatique
Edited byMichelle Tesoro
Music byLeonard Bernstein
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release dates
  • September 2, 2023 (2023-09-02) (Venice)
  • November 22, 2023 (2023-11-22) (United States)
Running time
129 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$3,291[2]

Maestro is a 2023 American biographical drama film that centers on the relationship between American composer Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre. It was directed by Bradley Cooper, from a screenplay he wrote with Josh Singer. It was produced by Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Cooper, among others. The film stars Carey Mulligan as Montealegre alongside Cooper as Bernstein; Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Silverman appear in supporting roles.

Maestro premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2023, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion. The film was scheduled for a limited theatrical release on November 22, 2023, before streaming on Netflix on December 20. It received positive reviews from critics.

Plot

The film begins with an inscription from the writings of Leonard Bernstein stating, "A work of art does not answer questions, it provokes them; and its essential meaning is in the tension between the contradictory answers." The opening scene shows Leonard in his more mature years playing a modern classical piano composition while being filmed and interviewed in his home in 1987 when he is nearly 70 years old. After he is finished playing, he shares a romantic moment with Felicia his wife of many years.

Flashing back to 1943, Bernstein – then 25 and living in New York City as the assistant conductor to the New York Philharmonic – suddenly makes his conducting debut with the Philharmonic when Bruno Walter falls ill. Berstein is exceptional as a substitute, and enjoys a rapturous reception from the audience. At this time, Bernstein is in an intermittent romantic and sexual relationship with clarinettist David Oppenheim. However, his homosexuality is diverted soon afterward, when he meets Felicia Montealegre, an aspiring actress, at a party. They begin dating and sleeping together, and ultimately marry and have three children together: Jamie, Alexander, and Nina.

By the mid-1950s, Leonard and Felicia live a highly affluent life in the public eye, with Leonard having composed several successful operas and Broadway musicals, including Candide and West Side Story. They begin to host lavish parties. Felicia combats concerns raised about Leonard's homosexual tendencies, insistent that she holds rein over him as his wife. As the years pass, however, Leonard's dalliances with men – as well as his alcohol and substance abuse – take a deep toll on their marriage. These issues are compounded when Jamie hears whispers of her father's affairs, and Leonard – in attempting to deny what she has heard as mere rumours, fueled by "jealousies" – only raises his daughter's suspicions.

Finally, one Thanksgiving, after Leonard returns from a bender late for the family's festivities, he and Felicia have an explosive argument where she insists that he has hate in his heart, and will "die a lonely old queen" if he continues on his current path. Nonetheless, the couple remain married, through Leonard's composition of Mass in the early 1970s. In 1973, Bernstein conducts Mahler's Resurrection Symphony in a legendary performance at Ely Cathedral, England. Amidst the uproarious reception, Felicia reconciles with Leonard, insistent that "there's no hate in [his] heart" anymore.

Felicia is diagnosed with lung cancer a couple of years later; despite surgeries and an aggressive chemotherapy regimen, her condition deteriorates, and she dies in Leonard's arms in 1978. Overcome with grief, Leonard and the children abandon their lavish home shortly afterward. Bernstein is shown once again in 1987, teaching the art of conducting and still partying, as well as having affairs with his much younger, male students. Finally, returning to the interview, Bernstein admits that he misses Felicia terribly, before his mind flashes back to an image of her, back in their youth, walking into their yard.

Cast

Production

Development

The project had been in development at Paramount Pictures, with Martin Scorsese initially planning to direct the film. He stepped down as director to work on The Irishman, allowing Bradley Cooper to join the film in May 2018 as director and to star as Bernstein. Scorsese continued as producer alongside Steven Spielberg.[3] Spielberg was also initially considering directing the film and had approached Cooper to star, but offered the director position to Cooper after a screening of A Star Is Born.[4] In January 2020, the project was moved to Netflix, with filming expected to begin in 2021.[5]

Casting

In September 2020, the project was given the title Maestro with Carey Mulligan joining the cast. It was also announced that filming would begin in the spring of 2021.[6] In October, Jeremy Strong joined the cast as John Gruen, but later dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.[7][8] In March 2022, Matt Bomer joined the cast.[9] Bomer would be confirmed in April, with Maya Hawke also announced as being cast.[10] In June, Sarah Silverman was announced as playing Bernstein's sister Shirley.[11] In February 2023, Michael Urie was announced to be appearing in the film as Jerome Robbins.[12] In April 2023, it was reported that Miriam Shor was a part of the cast.[13] [14] [15]

Filming

Filming was expected to begin on April 5, 2021 in Los Angeles;[16] however, it instead began in May 2022.[10][17] Production occurred at Tanglewood between May 21 and 26,[18] and in New York City. Filming also took place at Ely Cathedral in England between October 20 and 22.[19]

Soundtrack

Maestro featured Bernstein's compositions from his musicals and operettas which were handpicked by Cooper. Those songs were performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and few choral performances by London Symphony Chorus, under the direction of musical conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin who also served as Cooper's conducting coach. The soundtrack was preceded with an excerpt from the finale of Mahler's Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" as a single on October 20. The full soundtrack was released by Deutsche Grammophon digitally on November 10 and was released physically on December 1.[20]

Release

Maestro premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2023, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion.[21] It received a gala screening as part of the New York Film Festival's spotlight program on October 2, 2023, making it the first film to hold a premiere at the new David Geffen Hall. Cooper attended the event but did not participate in the post-film Q&A due to restrictions imposed during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[22][23] Additionally, Maestro screened at the BFI London Film Festival and closed the AFI Fest.[24][25] The film began a limited theatrical release in the United States on November 22, 2023, before streaming on Netflix on December 20, 2023.[26]

Reception

Box office

Although Netflix does not publicly report box office grosses, IndieWire estimated the film made about $200,000 from eight theaters in its opening weekend (and a total of $300,000 over the five-day Thanksgiving frame), which would make it the most successful debut for the company since at least 2019.[27]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 180 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Led by a pair of powerful performances, Maestro serves as a stirring overview of a tremendous talent's life and legacy."[28] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 52 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[29]

BBC Culture's Nicholas Barber wrote, "Maestro confirms what was suggested by Cooper's directorial debut, A Star Is Born. He has sky-high ambitions, and he has the technical virtuosity and big-hearted sincerity to fulfil those ambitions with flair."[30] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter termed it a "layered examination" of a complex marriage, and particularly lauded Mulligan's "heartbreaking" performance.[31]

Prosthetic criticism

Cooper's use of a large prosthetic nose to portray Bernstein, who was Jewish, was criticized by some as an example of "Jewface", following the release of photographs from the set of the film in May 2023 and the subsequent release of the trailer in August.[32] The chief television critic of The Hollywood Reporter, Daniel Fienberg, criticized in a Twitter post the casting of Cooper, along with the British gentile Mulligan as a Costa Rican-Chilean converted Jew, as "a LOT of ethnic cosplay for one movie".[33] English Jewish actress Tracy-Ann Oberman wrote that if Cooper "can't [play the role] through the power of acting alone then don't cast him – get a Jewish actor". She felt that as Cooper had portrayed Joseph Merrick, a 19th-century British man who had severe facial deformities, without prosthetics, "then he should be able to manage to play a Jewish man without one".[32]

Bernstein's children defended Cooper's use of prosthetic makeup to portray him, stating that they worked with Cooper throughout the filmmaking process and that their "dad would have been fine with it."[34] The Anti-Defamation League noted historical media portrayal of Jews as "evil caricatures with large, hooked noses" but said that "this film, which is a biopic, ... is not that".[35] In September 2023, Kazu Hiro, who created the prosthetic, said that he was surprised by the criticism but was "sorry if [he] hurt some people's feelings". He added that "our only intention" was to portray Bernstein "as authentically as possible".[36]

The New Yorker published an essay defending the special effects make-up used by Hiro in the film and numbered him as among the top three or four special effects make-up artists of the past fifty years stating the film's background intentions as: "In the beginning, Hiro worked on a prosthetic treatment that was, in Cooper's words, 'totally Lenny'. But Cooper felt that it didn't look real. 'We wanted to find a medium between Lenny and me', he explained, 'so we created this hybrid.' The most difficult years for Hiro to re-create were Bernstein's final ones. Even late in life, Bernstein was flirtatious. Cooper felt that the seventy-something Bernstein still needed to look a bit 'sexy'."[37]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Camerimage November 18, 2023 Golden Frog Matthew Libatique Nominated [38]
Gotham Independent Film Awards November 27, 2023 Icon & Creator Tribute Bradley Cooper Won [39]
Middleburg Film Festival October 22, 2023 Distinguished Makeup Artist Award Kazu Hiro Won [40]
Palm Springs International Film Festival January 4, 2024 International Star Award – Actress Carey Mulligan Won [41]
Santa Barbara International Film Festival February 8, 2024 Outstanding Performer of the Year Bradley Cooper Won [42]
Venice International Film Festival September 9, 2023 Golden Lion Nominated [43]
Queer Lion Nominated [44]
Virginia Film Festival October 29, 2023 Craft Award Kazu Hiro Won [45]

References

  1. ↑ "Maestro (15)". British Board of Film Classification. November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Maestro". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  3. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 10, 2018). "Bradley Cooper To Star In & Direct Leonard Bernstein Movie As Dueling Biopics Tune Up". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  4. ↑ Sheridan, Wade (January 12, 2022). "Bradley Cooper says Steven Spielberg hired him to helm Maestro". United Press International. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  5. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 21, 2020). "Netflix Commits To Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein Film; Scorsese, Spielberg, Todd Phillips Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  6. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 22, 2020). "Bradley Cooper Sets Carey Mulligan to Play Leonard Bernstein's Wife Felicia in Netflix Film Maestro". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  7. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 19, 2020). "Succession's Jeremy Strong to Play Biographer John Gruen in Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein Maestro at Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  8. ↑ Paiella, Gabriella (February 21, 2023). "Jeremy Strong Will Never Break". GQ. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
  9. ↑ Kroll, Justin (March 15, 2022). "Matt Bomer in Talks to Join Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein Pic Maestro At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  10. 1 2 Kit, Borys (April 28, 2022). "Maya Hawke Joins Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein Biopic Maestro (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  11. ↑ Kroll, Justin (June 3, 2022). "Sarah Silverman Joins Bradley Cooper's Maestro At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  12. ↑ Nash, Tammye (February 7, 2023). "Resource Center announces Michael Urie as special guest emcee for Toast to Life 80s Icons". Dallas Voice. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  13. ↑ Malkin, Marc (April 28, 2023). "Younger Star Miriam Shor Cast in Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein Movie Maestro (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Bradley Cooper Spent Six Years Learning to Conduct Six Minutes of Music So He Could Film It Live on Maestro Set: 'I Was Absolutely Terrified'". Variety.
  15. ↑ "Carey Mulligan Never Felt Like a 'Proper Actor'. Then Came Maestro: 'I'm Going to Absolutely Do It All'". Variety.
  16. ↑ "Maestro". Production List. December 21, 2020. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  17. ↑ Sharf, Zack (January 25, 2022). "Bradley Cooper Confirms A Star Is Born Directorial Follow-Up Maestro Starts Filming in May". Variety. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Maestro Casting 1940s and 1980s Scene". Project Casting. Retrieved April 28, 2022.
  19. ↑ Munzenrieder, Kyle (May 31, 2022). "Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan Look Unrecognizable on Maestro Set". W.
  20. ↑ "Maestro (Original Soundtrack)". Deutsche Grammophon. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Maestro". Venice Biennale. July 6, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Bradley Cooper's Maestro Announced as Spotlight Gala of the 61st New York Film Festival". Film at Lincoln Center. August 16, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Bradley Cooper Makes Appearance at NYFF Maestro Premiere". Variety. October 2, 2023.
  24. ↑ Ntim, Zac (August 31, 2023). "BFI London Film Festival Full Lineup: 'The Book Of Clarence' World Premiere; Scorsese, Miyazaki, Lanthimos & Fincher Among Headline Galas". Deadline. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  25. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (September 7, 2023). "'Maestro' To Close AFI Fest; Director Bradley Cooper Plays Leonard Bernstein & Carey Mulligan Also Stars". Deadline. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  26. ↑ Grobar, Matt (August 15, 2023). "Maestro Teaser, Release Date: Bradley Cooper Sings as West Side Story Composer Leonard Bernstein in Newest Directorial Effort for Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  27. ↑ Brueggemann, Tom (September 2, 2023). "In the Hunger Games of Box Office, Napoleon and Wish Fall Short of #1 on a Holiday Weekend". IndieWire. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Maestro". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  29. ↑ "Maestro". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  30. ↑ Barber, Nicholas (September 2, 2023). "Maestro review: Bradley Cooper's Bernstein biopic is a hit". BBC Culture. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  31. ↑ Rooney, David (September 2, 2023). "Maestro Review: Carey Mulligan and Bradley Cooper in a Moving Portrait of Leonard Bernstein's Complex Marriage". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  32. 1 2 Pulver, Andrew (August 16, 2023). "Bradley Cooper in 'Jewface' storm after Leonard Bernstein trailer reveals prosthetic nose". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 16, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  33. ↑ Fienberg, Daniel [@TheFienPrint] (May 30, 2022). "My critiquing of Bradley Cooper converting to Latex Judaism caused me to fail to even notice Carey Mulligan as Leonard Bernstein's first wife, who was Chilean-Jewish. That's a LOT of ethnic cosplay for one movie" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 30, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2023 – via Twitter.
  34. ↑ Abramovitch, Seth (August 16, 2023). "Bradley Cooper Defended by Leonard Bernstein Family Over Maestro Prosthetic Nose". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  35. ↑ Shanfeld, Ethan (August 21, 2023). "Bradley Cooper's Prosthetic Nose in Maestro Is Not Antisemitic, Anti-Defamation League Says". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  36. ↑ Khomami, Nadia (September 2, 2023). "Makeup artist who created prosthetic nose for Bradley Cooper film apologises". The Guardian. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
  37. ↑ Hua Hsu (November 27, 2023). "The Makeup Artist Behind Bradley Cooper's Prosthetic Nose". The New Yorker. Retrieved December 2, 2023.
  38. ↑ "EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2023 Main Competition Line-up! – EnergaCAMERIMAGE 2023". camerimage.pl. October 24, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Gotham Awards: Bradley Cooper's 'Maestro' Tapped for Cultural Icon & Creator Tribute". The Hollywood Reporter. October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Middleburg Film Festival Announces Zone of Interest, American Fiction, and Maestro". Awardsdaily. October 3, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Carey Mulligan to Receive International Star Award, Actress at Palm Springs International Film Fest". The Hollywood Reporter. December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  42. ↑ "Santa Barbara Film Fest: Maestro Star Bradley Cooper Tapped for Outstanding Performer of the Year Award". The Hollywood Reporter. November 30, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  43. ↑ "Venezia 80 Competition". La Biennale di Venezia. June 26, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  44. ↑ "17. Queer Lion Award to "Domakinstvo za pocetnici" (Housekeeping for Beginners) by Goran Stolevski". www.queerlion.it. September 8, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Award Winners". Virginia Film Festival. May 9, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
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