Movie Review: Maestro

Recent biopics have eschewed the more traditional notion that they could attempt to encapsulate someone’s entire life within the length of a motion picture. Instead, many now try to convey the essence of their subject by zeroing in on one or two particularly important moments of their story. Maestro opts to meld the two methods into one, by following renowned conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) across several decades beginning with the first time he led an orchestra at 25 and following him through old age, but anchoring the story by almost exclusively showing us his life in relation to his wife, the actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan).

When we first meet him, Bernstein is in a relationship with clarinetist David Oppenheim (Matt Bomer), but when he is introduced to Felicia at a party the two are immediately drawn to each other. In short order they become married and give birth to 3 children, living what seems to be idyllic lives, each supporting the other as they experience increasing success. Leonard continues to see other men off and on, with Felicia’s apparent acceptance, but over time the affairs combined with his excessive drinking and increasing substance abuse begin to wear on her, possibly leading to the dissolution of their marriage and creating a rift between Bernstein and his children.

It’s an interesting choice to frame Bernstein’s story this way. It keeps the focus on the most human parts of his life while also telling us a story about a marriage that was clearly based in love but which also existed at least partially to help him conceal his true self during a far less accepting time. The movie is largely uninterested in Bernstein’s professional life, usually only referencing it to move us forward in time or to better understand the strains it sometimes put on his marriage, though when it does it can be thrilling, most notably in an extended sequence of him conducting Mahler’s “Resurrection Symphony” in 1973. That decision will likely put off viewers who were expecting a more traditional story, but it should prove very effective for those who are open to it.

Mulligan is flawless as Montealegre, wonderfully portraying her character’s emotional arc from wistful romance to unappreciated sadness. Cooper is a mostly convincing Bernstein, effortlessly charismatic as always and only occasionally drifting towards hamminess, but his script with cowriter Josh Singer (Spotlight) and his work as director are reward worthy. Using recordings of Bernstein’s work both as a composer and conductor in lieu of an original soundtrack is a deft move, as was hiring the always reliable Matthew Libatique (Black Swan) as cinematographer. This is a seriously gorgeous movie to look at that fully utilizes the inherent beauty of its many on-location shoots. Likewise, it is a sweetly touching examination of a non-traditional marriage arrangement that doesn’t shy away from its problems but still shows just how much the pair truly loved and respected one another. ★★★★★