Maestro

Maestro is the story of how Leonard Bernstein, with his charm and musical genius, not only conquered the classical music scene in New York City in the 1950s but also won the heart of Felicia Montealegre, played by the always impeccable Carey Mulligan. The movie is centered around the marriage between Montealegre and Bernstein, played by writer and director Bradley Cooper, acting behind a controversial prosthetic nose. Their marriage is a loving one, but the problem soon becomes apparent that Bernstein, being bisexual, is more interested in having affairs with young men than he is in being loyal to his wife. This is where I had problems with the film. Bernstein is such an interesting and dynamic historical figure, a person who truly changed and shaped American popular culture with his compositions and musical interpretations. I felt that it was limiting to have his life story solely focused on his sex life and how his wife and children reacted to his bisexuality. The film was directed with an intensity that bordered on obsession by Cooper, who clearly wanted to put everything and the kitchen sink into this film. This got distracting after a while, because every shot was so over-the-top impressive that it actually detracted from the experience. But Bernstein himself is so fascinating that his character was better than the experience, and Mulligan is always a joy to watch.