Maestro (2023) | Dir. Bradley Cooper
Jason McDonald/Netflix © 2023.
Written by: Belle McIntyre
I suppose it is appropriate to use musical terms to describe the formal elements of a film about the prolific and influential musical figure, Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper). The prelude opening scenes, shot in black and white have an archival look of a 1940’s Hollywood production with arch mannerisms, clever quips and generally artificial-sounding dialog, introduce Lenny’s early meeting with and courtship of actress, Felicia Montealegre Cohn (Carrie Mulligan) at a sunny outdoor lunch party. They summarily ditch the lunch party and magically end up inside an empty theater (owned by Felicia’s father). There we are introduced to some of Lenny’s greatest hits in a fantasy montage which has him dancing in a scene from On the Town performing Fancy Free, choreographed by Jerome Robbins, and various other snippets from the Bernstein oeuvre.
Jason McDonald/Netflix © 2023.
Abruptly, cut to Lenny jumping out of bed (leaving behind another man) and moving into action having just received the phone call which would change his life. He has been tasked to step in for an indisposed Bruno Walter, to conduct the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall that day, with no time to rehearse. The movie rapidly picks up speed and color and fleshed out, more contemporary scenes and a more naturalistic style. We are treated to the love affair and wedding of Lenny and Felicia. They are clearly mad for each other. Unfortunately for Felicia, Lenny is often equally mad for others, who happen to be men. She boldly tells him that she knows “who he is” and can accept him as he is as long as he does not humiliate her. She keeps her end of the bargain with increasing difficult as the slights and arrows of his behavior start to wear her down.
Jason McDonald/Netflix © 2023.
Obviously, such a galvanic, charismatic, immensely talented musical figure would have an equally large ego. With his career taking off, his intense energy while conducting, non-stop cigarettes while doing everything else, Felicia is in charge of the endless entertaining and child rearing of their three children, they become more distant. And he can really be a selfish bastard. There are many fascinating episodes from Lenny’s career and the Bernstein’s social life. A particularly memorable one occurs when Felicia has finally had enough and is having a heated telephone conversation with Lenny and warning him that his behavior is going to end badly as a giant balloon in the form of Snoopy drifts past the window of their apartment in the Dakota. It is Thanksgiving Day and the Macy’s parade is in full swing. It is a clever, ironic and very New York-centric moment.
Jason McDonald/Netflix © 2023.
The film is jam-packed with fascinating snippets and details of the life and times, and let it not be ignored, full of beautiful soaring music, much of which is seen from the podium of Lenny, conducting as if his life depended on it. To his credit, Bradley Cooper increasingly seems to fully inhabit the character of Lenny and to my eyes he was the embodiment of the man. Felicia returns in the coda of the film. It is a very carefully presented narrative arc for such a complex figure. The bookending of Felicia’s character seems very apt. Carrie Mulligan is superb with subtle shifts of emotion swirling inside, she is deeply sensitive and maybe not quite as tough as she thought she was. In spite of it all, it was a wonderful life and a wonderful movie.
