A biopic about American composer Leonard Bernstein, “Maestro” is available on Netflix since Wednesday, December 20. Is this movie worth watching? Our review.
Even before it was released on Netflix, Maestro was a film closely watched by moviegoers. Because of its genre (a biopic), its subject (the brilliant conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein and his relationship with his wife Felicia Montealegre) and a director-actor in front of and behind the camera (the sometimes unrecognizable Bradley Cooper ), this film was already mentioned in conversations as a potential contender for the Oscars. Although we do not yet know which films will compete for the famous statuette, Maestro has already been nominated 4 times for the Golden Globes.
Before knowing the fate of Maestro at the Oscars, the public can already form their own opinion since the feature film has been available since December 20 on Netflix. If, on paper, the film has all the qualities to be a success, is it really worth a watch?
Among biopics, Maestro aims for the top of the basket. We know that Leonard Bernstein is an immense conductor and the composer of one of the greatest musicals on Broadway, West Side Story. With this postulate in mind, Bradley Cooper makes a drastic choice: the musician’s works will only punctuate his film, but it will be his intimate portrait, his ambivalences and his flaws which will be at the heart of his biopic.
Always with one figure in his sights: his wife, actress Felicia Montealegre. Netflix subscribers will therefore discover 30 years of their lives, from their joys to their breakups, including reconciliations and dramas, to draw the portraits of these two artists apart.
With such a subject, this biopic would not hold up without a solid performance from its two performers. And whether it’s Bradley Cooper (who slipped into the guise of Leonard Bernstein) or Carrey Mulligan (who plays Felicia Montealegre), the two actors carry Maestro on their shoulders brilliantly.
Not only is their acting solid, but their couple works wonderfully on screen. Carey Mulligan, above all, confirms her immense talent and establishes herself with nuance and finesse as the true star of the film. Nominated for the Golden Globe for best actress in a drama film, she would absolutely not steal the award if she ever won it next January.
Maestro confirms above all that Bradley Cooper is far from just being a pretty face but that he is also a very talented director. The feature film is full of splendid shots and intense staging that is eye-catching.
But as ambitious and solid as this biopic may be, it still lacks that certain something to turn good executions into a great film. We can cite heaviness, we can cite lengths, but Maestro above all lacks that emotion that makes great biopics (and it’s not for lack of trying, especially at the end). Too bad, but no big deal, because if there is only one (new) film to watch in streaming for these Christmas holidays, it’s definitely Maestro.
