Bradley Cooper's "Maestro" -- My Honest Movie Review
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- Опубликовано: 19 дек 2023
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Is it too much to ask for reviewers to at least pronounce "BERNSTEIN" correctly?! The correct pronunciation is STINE...not STEEN. Bernstein in German literally means: Burnt Stone.
I mispronounced on purpose, believe it or not, to out the Pronunciation Police commenters, who are among the most useless commenters on the Internet -- a plague on this channel, because that's all they care about and they say nothing of substance besides. That, plus many of them use bad grammar when calling out pronunciation they say is wrong. They are often hypocrites, picking at one error while making several themselves. It happens several times a week on this channel. Nobody sees these comments in bulk besides creators. Now you know. So say something of substance with your minor complaints, please.
I will leave this comment up as an explanation.
Bernstein means Amber
@@LearningaboutMovies You were wrong. You were lazy. You were ignorant. Admit it.
I'm somewhat relieved to hear your comments about this film. I thought it was a forgettable film. It seemed like the entire motivation was getting best actor noms for himself and Mulligan.
NO WEST SIDE STORY? Wow, how can they suck this bad. West Side Story is Bernstein's most notable work; and it's a love story. This is a problem when actors take on a project where they wear too many hats. This movie needed an editor to tell Cooper, no, that idea/s sucks.
Currently halfway the film and I' having a hard time connecting with it. Going to finish it tomorrow
I could tell from the trailer,the movie is heavy and dull
Big fan of Bernstein’s work. Regardless of flaws of the film, I’m such a sucker for visuals and correct film stock. The 70s stuff looks like they nail the look of classical performances of the time
I’m 49 and as a Classical pianist, I grew up with a lot of respect for Bernstein, so I was looking forward to seeing this movie. However, once I found out that it was overwhelmingly a personal story based on his marriage and sex life (which was well-known and accepted), I passed. I wanted to see a movie that delved into the genius of the man, his larger-than-life passion for music, his fame as a Classical music star, and how his love for music stacked up against everything else in his life. I’m disappointed to hear that these elements were mere footnotes in this movie. Missed opportunity.
I think Bernstein’s cigarettes were the real stars of this movie.
it almost makes me want to smoke, you can look so cool ... ... ...
I think the Bernstein children--who are all alive--played a major role in how this movie was executed and that's why it leans more towards Felicia imo. Carey Mulligan literally has top billing over Bradley in this film. The movie ends with her in the last frame. I think the kids wanted to honor their mother who obviously suffered with having a husband who had a different orientation than hers. Unfortunately, their personal ties hindered the film because we really didn't get to know who Leonard was as a composer so why name the film "Maestro"? Fortunately, I was well aware of who he was due to my classical background, but what a missed opportunity to spotlight his historic work for new and unfamiliar audiences.
It was such a disappointment, I was waiting for some portion dedicated to the creation of west side story. Fine acting but storyline lacking. Great review.
you're on a roll, per usual ... i'm in the middle of american beauty atm, leaving netflix soon... not my favorite movie, hadn't seen in forever, but quite solid and symbolic of all the late 90s 'we're the best country in the world, now what?' state of the usa ... and all the complex trouble the naughts would bring. happy holidayz !
I agree with a lot of the reviewer's comments. The always "smiling" Berstein seemed forced and over the top. He is depicted as a mostly one dimensional character, with a fresh cigarette always hanging from his mouth. Was he always this vibrant and vivacious? He never even seems to lose his temper, even with some of the musicians he is conducting. In his last big conducting scene, Mr. Cooper, whose acting I usually admire, really blows it. His wild gestures with his hands and his writhing body are not in sync with the music, and it really started to remind me of the movies I've scene about famous athletes who are played by people who know nothing about the sport they should be an expert at. This last scene conducting scene was so over the top it was actually laughable and totally out of sync with the accents and syncopations in the actual music. It was some really bad acting.
I had a feeling this was the case that it was too focused on the personal and omits a lot of his musical triumphs. As a composer myself that is what I (and I am sure many others) wanted. It is in our queue, so I'll watch it anyway.
I think you were kind. Which did I like less, the film or Cooper's performance, by and large? Were it not for the lead actress, who was marvelous, it would have been a washout. Don't leave home for this one, Folks!
I totally agree, this movie reminds me of bohemian rhapsody, the way it's really not a true biopic. they avoid and skip any controversial topics.
Was excited to watch as I am both a Cooper and Berstein fan but was really disappointed. One thing that drove me nuts was ALL THE CIGARETTE smoking while the cigarette never seemed to be partially down. No half or stub.
Simply seeing the trailer the first time made me think...no. 2.5 stars confirms.
i thought it was ok - the start was a but too frenetic and busy, but it settled down ... i knew little about bernstein, and it kept me engaged. i liked the transition to color half-way thru, and there was effort in the film-making and performances.
thank you
Thanks, I just saw this at home and I largely agree with your comments. One can certainly admire its cinematography and the performances were amazing both by Cooper And Mulligan. But there tends to be a lot of very talky scenes one after the other and I didn't get a sense of a story moving on sufficiently. I dare to say that it made it somewhat boring. As you suggested it needed far more to be driven by music and his musicals. It was extraordinary that West Side Story didn't appear at all apart from some soundtrack. My favourite is Candide and I would like to have seen a lot more of that and the thinking behind it. Cooper gave an amazing performance. What he does with his voice and his assuredness, in particularly, directing himself, was an extraordinary feat.. How could he be objective? Overall I would not recommend it except to say, see it for some very impressive performances and cinematography. But it fails on the level of a dynamic story.
thank you
disappointing movie
Not a huge fan of Cooper and I seemed to be alone in my regard to this movie until you. I left the theater glad I'd never met the man. I watched this and felt like it was a checklist of scenes to snag a cinematography nomination, then a makeup and hair nomination, then an acting nomination and right on down the ballot. And I saw it on a theater screen, not at home.
I've been really looking forward to this film as I am a big admirer of Bernstein both as a composer and conductor (even if his Mahler can sound self indulgent at times). I'm still going to watch it but my expectations are now somewhat lower.
I bet you will like parts of it at least. enjoy!
In my humble opinion, ALWAYS best to watch first, then read reviews afterwards!
@@LearningaboutMovies Thank you. I'm sure I will enjoy much of it. Hopefully!
@@user-up7oz7uc4g You are, of course, absolutely correct. This is something I would normally do. In this case I gave in to temptation as I like this gentleman's work and consider him to be something of a sage when it comes to the world of film so I couldn't resist seeing what he had to say! In future I will try and take your advice!
It works well either way. Often reading/watching reviews tells you that you will like a movie when the reviewer didn't. A good reviewer can signal that well to audiences.
Great detailed review!
The movie was tedious. So filled with "look Ma, I'm making a respectful movie!" tones.But frustratingly teetering on what could have been. It needed a much stronger European darkness throughout to tell this story of confused love. Given Cooper's French affiliations thought he might harness that classic pathos/strength combination more.
The Cole Porter tale of "De Lovely" was similar, but also fell at hurdles of being too much of a hybrid.
I wasted 2:09 hours of my life watching this movie, it was bad, you most likely will be disappointed too!
Pls review in the bedroom by todd field
thank you
Great acting. The movie overall is just ok though. I’d say 6.5/10
except that a great actor--and I loved Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook--does not need a fake nose. Cillian Murphy didn't need one in Oppenheirmer because he is a fantastic and nuanced actor who has my vote to win the 2024 Oscar.
I now understand why his music was frantic and sometimes angry. I must be the only one in the world who didn't like his music. The movie like the man deeply flawed.
I could barely finish this movie….didn’t like it at all.
very sorry
Having just seen Maestro, I would agree it's a flawed film, perhaps three stars. Carey Mulligan is great, Cooper is narcissistically doing an impersonation of Bernstein which is only halfway impressive and the supporting cast are adequate. My main problem, like you, is figuring out what it's about? It's not a biopic, it's short on music, as you say, but it doesn't focus exclusively on the relationship between Bernstein and Felicia. It seems to me that Cooper was going for the uncomprising nature of artists and their tortured commitment has inevitable consequences on family life - both partners and children. That's the sacrifice that has to be made to make great art which is why the film ends on Bernstein's genius, confusingly haunted by the image of Felicia.
That's the closest I can come to but, in addition to there being not enough music (ie. why is the film called Maestro?), we don't really get to care about Bernstein and, only Felicia, as a victim of his infidelities and general moroseness. Although there are bravura sequences early on like the On The Town dance sequence, the second half works better when it focuses on the family relationships and Carey Mulligan is superb in the second half. I don't know whether I am supposed to feel for Felicia in what she had to put up with and dislike Lenny or am I supposed to admire Lenny for his musical genius without much being on display?
To me, it's a curious, directionless film with things to admire but when the material is not shaped into anything coherent, it's hard to figure out why we should be watching.
This movie was a gloried soapy melodrama interspersed with some (but not enough) interesting scenes of his career. Too much Oscar baity style over substance.
I was disappointed . Call me Bradley ! We will talk .U were better than the movie .
I was disappointed, some movies are too long, this was too short, maybe it should’ve been a limited series instead of a movie
I don't like it, I don't respect it.
Society of the Snow should have been Netflix's major push for the Oscars over this garbage.
Yeah, next time get hired by Bradley Cooper... you'd had aave his movie...😂
?
I didn't listen. Saw it. What a waste... I'll listen next time!
This movie was disgusting. It did little to demonstrate the abilities and portray one of the greatest musical genius' in history. They should have used better film effects to display his immense talents as a pianist and even as a speaker. Bradley cannot play piano. He is not a dancer that knows how to imitate movement correctly as with the conducting. Tar was infinitely better. Cate Blanchett had a better understanding of movement combined with emotion. The movie did not show the incredible reverence people had for him like with the Vienna Philharmonic. They had disdain for everyone not German, but he came in and started speaking German to them right away and the entire orchestra fell in love. This movie disregarded the almost impossible to imagine accomplishments. Thousands and thousands of hours of study (How do you think he became a virtuoso pianist?) in piano and composition, composing, conducting thousands of concerts around the world, and teaching. The average person has no idea how long in YEARS of listening in would take to learn his repertoire. In life he only performed a small fraction of what he studied. He spent countless hours alone in front of a record player, piano, or the score to study the music with dozens of listening of every piece. Just try to imagine one single concerto and the months of practice it takes to learn this short 30-to-40-minute piece and get it to a performance level. This movie was based on needles things that could make any person in history look bad even Leonardo DaVinci, Bach, Beethoven, or Gandhi. Who cares how many kids he had, when he went to the toilet, who he slept with, if he got high, what he liked to eat? From the beginning to the end there was never a moment except for the conducting that he was without a cigarette. It got annoying. To me this was a very slow-paced failure. Leornard's impromptu speaking voice is better sounding and more dramatic than Bradley's best. Props to the makeup artists though. The Fancy Free sailor dancers were excellent. You can fake that level of ballet. I wasn't a fan of Bradley's dream sequence of being one of those dancers. No normal person in the world can walk ten feet or do a single step or arm movement and look like a top trained professional ballet dancer.
Cooper pretending to dance in a sailor outfit was just too much for me along with the constant smoking and fake Bozo nose.
she died from lung cancer
Good correction, thanks