maestro (bradley cooper, 2023)

Maestro gets so many things right, I'm not sure the wrong stuff matters. Some of that stuff is about omissions ... while Bernstein's bisexuality is an ongoing part of the narrative, there's not a lot of actual sex on the screen, and the political activism of Leonard and Felicia (immortalized by Tom Wolfe in his hit piece "These Radical Chic Evenings") is barely mentioned. In fact, for the most part, even music is presented in an oddly peripheral way. We see how the music affects Bernstein, and we see how his passion for music affects audiences, but the passion is the focus more than is the music.

And there is nothing wrong with this. Maestro is more a character study than a biopic, and as someone who isn't usually a fan of biopics, I think it's a smart move.

Cooper demonstrates a good feel for his fellow actors. Carey Mulligan is the best thing about the movie. Cooper himself at times comes across as Oscar bait ... he directed it, he produced it, he wrote it, he starred in it, of course he's going to have some big scenes. And he's fine. His directing decisions are puzzling, though. The film switches from color to black and white and back again, and the aspect ratio changes, and I'm sure Cooper has his reasons, but in interviews those reasons don't convince me the changes are necessary. But neither are they deal-breakers.

Ultimately, Maestro is very good as you watch it, but looking back, I find myself with more questions than hosannahs. It's a worthy film, with a great performance by Mulligan, and that's more than enough.

The film has been nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. I've seen 7 of the 10 nominees, and I liked all of the others more than Maestro, but again, that doesn't mean it's a bad movie. It's no crime to be good but not up to the standard of Anatomy of a Fall or Past Lives.

My current Top 10 of 2023 (haven't seen American Fiction, The Holdovers, or The Zone of Interest, all of which got Best Picture Oscar nominations):

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
2. Anatomy of a Fall
3. The Boy and the Heron
4. Poor Things
5. Past Lives
6. Godzilla Minus One
7. Killers of the Flower Moon
8. Barbie
9. Oppenheimer
10. Maestro

Comments

[Tomás]

I love this list. It's very you.

[Steven Rubio]

I'm frequently asked why I don't write my memoirs. I think I have. :-)