It feels like ppl really picked up on the motivations behind this film not being true to what the movie is trying to convince us it’s presenting. Instead of bringing a giant of his time to life for potentially a brand new audience, it seems like Bradley cooper wanted to be lauded like Bernstein and the estate wanted to enshrine their parents relationship in some way. Great review btw! I really appreciate your straightforward and knowledgeable approach. To me the second best thing to watching movies is talking about them 😊
Totally agree it did a deep disservice to Bernstein, and frankly reductive to Felicia as well. The real Felicia was a dynamic and influential person in her own right who was a peace activist and heavily involved in organizing and funding social change. Both the Bernsteins led passionate socially involved lives and brought glamour and public interest back to classical performances. None of this was portrayed in the movie, which was a series of absolutely stunningly beautiful set pieces and gorgeous shots, visual composition, and excellent acting-- with absolutely no story or plot. Really a deeply tragic missed opportunity to tell the story of a remarkable life and huge artistic figure who was a creative genius but who was also an educator who impacted the popular imagination of his time and increased engagement with the arts at an unprecedented level. He meant SO much more than the movie portrayed, and I felt it was a stunningly shot piece of gratuitous self-indulgence that served Bradley Coopers ego instead of serving the story and legacy of a truly great artist.
I must share this channel with students who are learning about film critique, your language is clear and I get more added perspective, it's not about agreeing it's about seeing a fresh take. More needed in today's world !
Almost every film critic on youtube and rottentomatoes is a sell-out, trying to kiss up to the industry to get invites to parties and screenings. They rave over nearly everything, the more pretentious the harder they rave.
Cringey comment alert: I am still so thankful for this channel, just having a reviewer here who is articulate, and who can talk about film in a way which is both erudite and accessible. And no flashy intro, ego, hype or star ratings. Thank you.
I enjoy listening to her reviews cause she makes interesting comparisons and has insight but her analysis is typically surface level and I find her overly negative and a bit too rambly.
@@ssssssstssssssssHaving actual standards mandates a certain amount of negativity when it comes to critiquing movies made in the 21st century. Nothing wrong with it at all.
I hated the experience of watching the film but I couldn’t put my confusion, boredom and disappointment into words - and then I found your review and you nailed so much of it. Thank you!
Wow, I didn't think that anybody would agree with my thoughts on this film so completely. I reinstated my Netflix account just to watch this movie as a Christmas present to myself. I've performed in a few Bernstein pieces and the beauty of his music, along with his passionate conducting and love for Mahler's work have, over the years, brought me to absolute tears. But, hey, I found out more about both Felicia AND Lenny from a PBS documentary YEARS AGO that I still have on VHS. The first hour of this film is little more than mumbling, muddled, just bad dialogue, and the second hour was all about how Felicia gave up her life for his. Lorrr, really? What about her civil rights work? What about her TIME MAGAZINE cover where she's holding up a fist for the Cause? All we get in this film is her sitting on the bottom of a swimming pool. Is that how white women suffer in silence? Just because his breath and cigarette smell reminds her of her father? Funny but okay. I also thought that his sister could've been used to give a lot of his back story in terms of family, where he/they came from and how that influenced his future. Well, since I did have the Netflix back up, I went on over to the film, 'RUSTIN' and got what I was looking for. Superb dialogue and acting. So, we'll see as far as Oscar's go.
Agreed. It was at least about something, but so is a 1950s chemistry textbook, and I also go to films for entertainment. Mulligan was fantastic. As its own piece of art, not simply representing Bernstein’s, Maestro was too scattered and anxious not to fall short.
The movie was basically Bradley Cooper begging for an oscar for two hours. Yeah, the movie looks and sounds great, Carey Mulligan was fantastic... but the movie as a whole felt empty and pointless.
I'm glad I finally found a film critic who is grounded and thorough! There's no fluff or fanboying in your critiques, and I appreciate how wonderfully articulate you are. Keep up the great work! I completely agree with your thoughts on Maestro, it was an empty movie and ultimately felt like a waste of time. Which is a grand shame because there is so much more to explore with Leonard Bernstein and his music that could make for a compelling biopic.
I talk to a person (bass singer) who actually worked with Mr. Bernstein in his old years. what he said was:" brilliant musician, brilliant conductor, wanting to fuck everything that moves."
I liked a lot of the shot composition and long takes. Carey was the best for sure, but there were even times where I didn't fully buy into her, either. But yeah, the movie felt pretty hollow, overall. How do you think it went in the casting room when Bradley had to kiss a couple of guys? Do you think it played out like his interview on Jimmy Fallon?
Thank you! You are right on target! I had to force myself to watch the entire film after almost giving up after the first 10 minutes. And I studied music performance --- growing up with Berstein as one of my heroes. What a major dissappointment this movie was. It, too, seemed to me to be targeted to the Academy voting members rather than to any potentially appreciative viewing audience.
Insightful review. I do agree so much with you on this film. One thing I’ve also found in other reviews was much admiration for the film technique use which I don’t agree with. I disliked the cinematography. No reason to have the black and white in the first half, and the ancient box ratio throughout. Pretentious odd angles, often through doorways, long shots of people talking, obscured by objects, taken from hundreds of feet away. Non engaging insider conversations that were too often just inconsequential small talk. Cooper’s performance was a cross between shallow impersonation and over the top charicature. I missed Bernstein’s innate intelligence which you can find in every RUclips interview with him. Would have been nice if they really tried to explore the creative process in creating his music. Loved Carry Mulligan’s (a real actor) performance as Felicia. This movie just reeked of pretentious artistry. What a missed opportunity. Amadeus while not a faithful biography was still for me magical, Maestro was a boorish slog.
If the movie exposes more people to Mahler's 2nd symphony and that's a good thing. The movie has shortcomings but I still enjoyed it. I would have put more emphasis on his musical achievements and great influence on young musicians. But huge props to Bradley Cooper for taking on this monumental project.
Totally agree. I honestly feel like this is a film that gets by on how good the music. When someone hears Mahler 2 for the first time, it knocks their socks off. If the worst directors on the planet were told to direct the Ely Cathedral sequence, it would still blow audiences away just because the Mahler 2 climax is that good. Nothing else matters in the film; that's all they'll remember. And yet you can watch that entire performance of Mahler 2 on youtube and probably learn more about Bernstein just from that.
My gosh. Respect. Your comments on A Star is Born match what I felt so perfectly. I’m relieved and justified in my negative feelings about it. Maestro SAME! You have a new subscriber. Can’t thank you enough. Keep on keeping it real…….
Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of a fictional top symphony orchestra conductor (Lydia Tar) felt more compelling and captivating than Bradley’s attempt to bring to life one of classical’s music most iconic figures. There I said it. Getting stoned in 3, 2, 1…..
Not even a hot take when it's the truth. Her portrayal of Lydia Tár is seriously one of my most compelling performances of this decade. Cate Blanchett is in a whole other league as an actor compared to Bradley Cooper.
@@ssg8tee Her performance was nothing short of a masterclass in acting, I have a few theatre friends, who were in awe of Blanchett's Lydia Tar. Academy is a joke for snubbing TAR
Your “outside in”point and comparison to Killian Murphy’s choices. Less concerned about the imitation. More the internalized character development. With Maestro we never get the growth and evolution of the character. In the argument during the parade it was a lot of expository dialogue which should have been made clearer in Act 1.
Wonderful commentary loved the review - the voice was so artificial and everything after that followed. The underdeveloped relationships scratched the surface including his relationship to music. Years of in cohesive smorgasbord.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I wanted to like this movie. I am so thankful and grateful for Cooper’s passion on LB’s life and work and I too am an unapologetic fanboy of Bernstein. As a professional musician (violinist) I want a great LB bio to be made. But this project is almost impossible anyway. You can’t really capture LB’s magic any better than seeing the genuine footage of him which is pretty accessible on RUclips. And of course if you were fortunate to see him in person or even witness his life first hand there is simply nothing that can compare. The actual raw footage of LB conducting Mahler is stirring and captivating. Just watch that. Or watch his Harvard lectures. Or go see West Side Story.
Literally one of THE most intelligent and detailed movie reviewers of our time, thank YOU all ways #thewonderwomanifmoviereviews And I don’t think possible for any decades long major hollywood actor (especially a ‘pretty boy’) that could deliver and direct a truly deep movie and about a music legend
@@johnpjones182 Yeah *if* as in: Maggie can be described as “What *if* Wonder Woman would review films instead of being a super powered amazonian world saving warrior princess.” …or something like that
Here's my review of Maestro: Zzzzzzz. I learned more about the Leonard - Felicia relationship after watching the film when I had to go back and look up articles on the web. The movie never had the courage to go into the compromised nature of their relationship.
Me too! It was awful, just awful! I knew it would be due to how netflix really showcased it. Uh oh, disaster. It was terrible and just completely missed how talented Bernstein was.
I think this movie could be summed up as ; its a biopic for the academy. I hate biopics, sans Oppenheimer if that counts as one, I'd much rather watch a documentary if you're delving into a public figures life. Great review as always
I watched the movie yesterday and my first impression was vaguely positive, the movie seemed shallow but nice, with some beautiful images and interesting movie making. I am a classical music listener and, despite the fact that Bernstein is frequently not my preferred interpreter in much of the classical repertory, there is a kind of sincerity and personal involvement in its music making that is very touching. And in a few cases it creates magic. I like very much several of his compositions, such as West Side Story and Candide, and find his master classes, Harvard conferences, Young’s People concerts, etc. brilliant. He has an outstanding ability to make the internal workings of music, which are so difficult to understand for a non-specialist, crystal clear, not intellectually, as most musicologists do, but emotionally, as most of us approach music. Unfortunately there is no trace of Bernstein’s extraordinary musical gifts, his intelligence and intellectual brilliance, his outstanding technical and professional competence in the movie. Nobody is invited to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic or the Berlin Philharmonic or to record by the Deutsche Gramophon of the seventies and eighties because he his considered a star by New York high society. Bernstein was at that moment one of the best conductors and one of the most stimulating composers in the world and the only thing that is shown in the movie is that everywhere he looks he sees a nice guy that he wishes to attract immediately. Curiously, things that are common place in the professional music world are overemphasized and shown as evidence of Bernstein outstanding musical personality: it is normal that the assistant conductor replaces the conductor is he cannot conduct a particular concert. A few months ago the young Portuguese conductor Diniz de Sousa, assistant conductor of the English Baroque Soloists, replaced John Eliot Gardiner at very short notice when he stepped down in a concert and singers do that very frequently as well. So I cannot agree more with you. The movie ignores everything that is important…
There is one musical biopic that worked in semi recent years: GET ON UP, starring Chadwick Boseman as James Brown. Its refusal to be linear, or a hagiography, plus his performance made it work. MAESTRO, I agree, is a mostly damp squib. LB needed to be made relevant for an audience, and the film for any of its showmanship or refined qualities didn't do that.
The final shot made no sense to me. Instead of that feeling you get with a truly satisfying ending, I had the feeling I must have missed something, but I knew I didn't. I also think that Cooper should have known that the lyrics the chorus was singing in the climax is key to conveying the emotion of the performance. It would have been better to have Bernstein read the words in a setup scene, or just find some way to convey them prior so that those who don't know can enjoy the experience with those who do. I saw it with my sister and read the translation of Mahler's text to her in the car. She was much more moved after knowing them.
I did not have a connection to Leonard Bernstein, so I thoroughly enjoyed the love story. But hearing your review helps me see why there is a lot of disappointment. Thank you for the helpful and authentic review!
If you can't tell it's Bernstein conducting by simply listening to a recording that you haven't heard before, you don't know Bernstein. Bradley just didn't take his time to know him that well. I don't think so. That is why he failed with his attempt to look like how Bernstein conducted the Mahler piece.
I think you are right. I did not like .a Star is Born either, we must be the only ones. I have not seen Maestro yet, but everything you say is very interesting. I also think Cillian Murphy sadly will lose against Bradley Cooper. Cheers from Spain .
You have basically expressed all my views on this film just having watched it. It felt fake, mannered, not genuine. I have seen several of Leonard Bernstein’s concerts and they all are magnificent. It is just as you said, there is a glow and fire in Bernstein when he is conducting which is not even remotely present in Bradley Coopers performance. It just another mediocre movie.
I completely agree. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills seeing all the praise this film has gotten. The movie felt completely fragmented, the dialogue felt unnatural and too contrived. The kind of dialogue you write for awards and not for actual storytelling. I don't feel like I know the Bernsteins any better after watching the film. And funny enough, this movie should've been called the Bernsteins and not Maestro since it wasn't at all about his music. You can feel the desperation for accolades in every frame of this.
You're killing it! Thanks for working so hard lately and giving us so many thoughtful reviews :) The amount of pretentious interviews with Bradley the last few weeks surrounding this film has been overkill and turned me off to seeing it. Not surprised to hear this honestly. I'll give it a shot, though I'm expecting it to be painful.
The problem I had watching Maestro is I would much too often see Bradley Cooper rather than Bernstein. Yes, he did his homework and some good acting with Bernstein's manners, but still, could never really get into the character. I guess that's the risk of making a movie of a legend who we saw tons of times.
Normally I would say we should give it to him just so he can quit embarrassing himself by chasing it so blatantly, but Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer was absolutely incredible, and if he doesn't win there is no justice in this world.
Literally my first thought the moment I saw the trailer. Bradley is gagging for that Oscar and it's kinda obnoxious at this point. I'm hoping Cillian Murphy wins just to rub salt in the wound since his performance is actually brilliant compared to whatever Bradley is doing.
Really nice take on the film. It seemed that the filmakers assumed that everyone intimately understood the genius of Bernstein and therfor our focus should be directed toward Felicia.
Excellent, smart, on-point review. RE: American bio-pic idéology and narrative arc, ad-nauseum: 1. Feature widely beloved, sanctified, publicly cleansed iconic figure, preferably DEAD. 2. Impose upon them an arc of his/her rise out of modest and/or marginalized background 3. Erase historical and very much extant class, race, gender structuralized inequities by making class, race, gender structuralized inequities largely personal prejudices of "bad" individual antagonists in the "distant" past that our "post--racial," we're-all-cured-and-good-now" America has settled 4. After initial ascendence to fame, héros et héroïne succumbs to vice(s)-- drugs, drink, hubris, etc.--then héros or héroïne falls from grace FINALE: Héros et héroïne rallies through the "love" of a heart-of-gold stock love interest, and thereby stages the triumphant comeback performance, after which the Héros or héroïne rides, sings, plays, acts, inspires away into the sunset. Addendum: Make all héros et héroïnes relentlessly cis-gen, heterosexual and ERASE any depiction of or engagement with said héros' et héroïnes' possible, likely, and/or known sexual fluidity (e.g. biographers, historians, and peers all speculated on or state that Bernstein experienced Gay attractions and encounters ). The End. Roll credits. Collect beaucoup des Oscars, replete with treacle-and-tears acceptance speech. TAKEAWAY: American biopic movies (versus cinéma) turn Hannah Arendt's concept of "banality of evil" on its head, i.e., "The evil of banality."
It didn’t seem like the movie was trying to present his wife as the point of the scene when her profile came into the scene, I think that scene was trying to show how she admired him and wanted him back in her life. Just for clarification was that the scene in the church?
I found Bernstein’s conversations very meaningful and thought provoking. The wife, in my opinion, represented all who loved him - a glorious but heartbreaking love at the same time.
Still waiting to watch this film, but i thoroughly enjoyed your review. Ive heard from others as well that Bradley overdoes things a bit and it's pretty obvious he was winking at the Academy voters the entire time. Meanwhile, there seems to be a growing consensus that Carey rendered an exceptionally brilliant performance in this film. She is one on my list of Best actress nominees for the upcoming Academy Awards. As for Best Actor, it'll be between Bradley and Cillian, with Bradley having the edge because of narrative and more connections within the Academy.
Wow. You nailed it. You really can just watch interviews and documentaries on Leonard and learn more than watching this film. It was a missed opportunity in writing. They really missed the opportunity to incorporate Mahler (beyond that one extended scene). Mahler’s music pairs so well with the personality of Bernstein. They’re interconnected. If they somehow showed the process of Bernstein discovering Mahler, falling in love with that music and wanting the world to see, it would’ve made the cathedral scene way more satisfying. The perfect opportunity was after the interview where Bernstein laments his composition work isn’t that much. That’s the moment the story can shift and show Bernstein’s amazing impact on the 20th century in his conducting, and teaching.
Hypothetically, as someone who may have potentially went to a early screening of this film. When watching the early preview of this film i literally said, this film is automatically worse for the sinple fact that Cate Blanchett gave the performance of the decade last year in TAR. Many viewers literally said that Maestro feels like a bootleg tryhard version of Bradley even mimicing Blanchett in his attempt to win an Oscar. This film is very underwhelming. That being said Bomer was criminally underused and Carey Mulligan was sensationally subdued but authentic. But you can tell that this is clearly a vanity project over the Oscar over like you said, having something worthwhile to say
They didn't even pick the correct piece for his conducting. By his own words Beethoven's Op. 131 quartet set for orchestra was his crowning conducting achievement. I have posted this incredible video. As a professional ballet dancer and classical musician, I found this movie to be awful in so many ways. I also grew up with Bernstein and learning with a record player, so I have a direct historical perspective. I already listed my reasons on why this movie was poor and misinforming on another youtube page.
@@DogecoinBros Gary Oldman is freaking awesome. Sid and Nancy (Sid Vicious), Dark Knight (Gordon), Immortal Beloved (Ludwig van Beethoven), Bram Stoker's (Dracula). This is an amazing diverse repertoire. He is not Oldman playing these characters. He is one of the rare actors that becomes the character, and you say, "Who was that?"
Great review as always. Just curious on the point of music biopics, have you seen Walk Hard? That movie obliterates the entire formula of the genre so thoroughly that I cannot for the life of me understand why people still make unironic ones.
I haven't seen _A Star is Born_ or _Maestro,_ and doubt I will. Bradley Cooper has a monstrous ego, as evinced by a comment in an interview he gave about _Silver Linings Playbook._ He lauded himself for going into the editing room and helping out, and generally presenting himself to filmmakers as more than just an actor, but as a "resource". He's a pretty good actor, and may be a good director (don't know) but this is fairly crass behavior and attitude, IMHO. I could be wrong, I suppose, but this is the sort of thing that only a small handful of genuine creative geniuses can pull off. Orson Welles and Bernard Herrmann come to mind. For those two, I'd have probably put up with almost anything.
I really wanted to like it but it really was boring... The acting is really good but I agree it feels like it's trying to be something but not even the film knows what that is.
Bingo on all counts Deepfocus. There were times watching this film when for all the great make up it was still just Bradley Cooper wearing a fake nose. That's harsh given Cooper's immense talents. Loved your review none the less. Looking forward to Oppenheimer after what you said about the film.
What I hated about Maestro is that it's about his personal life, not the music. This is a problem that Hollywood has had for a long time. They feel that by focusing on his personal life, they can give us more of a dramatic effect, and get greater performances; which is a cheat. They have no faith that a film about the music and his life as a conductor would have interested audiences.
Totally agree. There are many people of great accomplishment who are not interesting. Some actors too. In the Levy Cathedral scene where Bradley does a lot of sweating there is a fascinating woman violinist. Ten seconds. She steals the movie.
It doesn’t matter if you love or hate the movie, or fall somewhere in between…your videos always deliver and you’re cute too, the way you always hold your hand to side of your face like you’re using telekinesis on us all
So sorry to hear that this bio of Leonard Bernstein did not capture the truth and emotions of the man. I suppose the closest you can get in that play would be to check out the West Side Story sessions with Leonard Bernstein conducting his work and Jose Carreras as the star tenor in this no holds back heated rehearsal. I saw this doc on Deutsche Gramophone Laser disc and it was like sitting in on the sessions. It gave you a very honest look at the artists involved.
Refreshing to hear a woman call out neo-feminism agenda when she sees it. Good for you putting truth and art above political, social agenda movements. Films become Art when they transcend any movement of the moment and concentrate on the Truth of the subject at hand. Appreciate your honest efforts.
Spot on Maggie! I so wanted to love this movie and did NOT! My fundamental problem is the script. It's a pot pour of moments versus a story. I wished they had taken a moment dug deep into to it to find truth and the person that Bernstein was. My best illustration in the meaningless insertion of Mahler's Resurrection with zero build up or payoff. It's like a compilation video. Sad.
it was awful couldn't watch - thanks for describing me and it makes me even happier that I didn't stick around to watch it. Netflix should lower their prices, but they have to help people like Prince Harry to live high as inheriting a fortune from his mother and allowance from his dad isn't enough. groan
I'm not even a huge berenstein fanatic, admittedly I have yet to even fully integrate appreciation for the man's artistry, but even I found this film, though wasn't meant to be ill intended, felt disrespectful to the life and legacy of the genius himself. From a technical standpoint the film was well executed I'll give it that and the highest note for which the movie exhibits is the Powerhouse performance delivered by Carey Mulligan she is one of my favorite actresses of the our current time and she was remarkably astonishing!! But when you're trying to encapsulate and honor the Life and times of such an iconic figure you want to find a fine balance between celebration of the artistry and the achievements for what their remembered for as well as flesh out the dramatics and pivotal moments of their personal journey but this film felt very one sided and barely touches the significance and process of Leonard Bernstein's structure of creativity. The movie as a whole was practically an exercise in socialism examining the behaviors pertaining towards the individuals and relationships surrounding Bernstein's life rather exploring and experimenting with the foundation of his life's work. Which isn't necessarily a bad approach unfortunately it just didn't do the man justice. And you make a very accurate point about how the film tries to utilize his relationship with Felicia as a means to being the ultimate driving force of his personal display and career-defining ingenuity . I found that to be quite an unsettling and irritable quality of the film. Now regarding Bradley Cooper's performance while his all-out efforts may be admirable it didn't exactly feel as truly authentic as Cooper's interpretation was intended I must agree in saying that his execution felt like a deeply studied impersonated caricature of Leonard rather than a full fledged to-the-bone embodiment. However I will admit that I think his panache shines the most during the moments were given when he is conducting especially the six minute sequence of Mahler's second symphony at Ely Cathedral which between that and Felicia's close-up conversation with Lenny's sister I think is the best part of the film. And you make a very interestingly true point about how the Cooper and his approach to Bernstein is working from the outside in rather than the inside out with like how Cillian Murphy did as Oppenheimer which I found to be a symphonic performance and brilliant poetic cautionary tale of a film. Overall though this motion picture was disappointing.😑😒
Funny, I forgot until you started talking about A Star is Born that I'm sitting on a couch that was screen used in that film - I got it while working on a WB show. Sitting on said couch as I watch this review.
Excellent review that explains how I felt afterwards better than I could myself. Mulligan is brilliant and transforms the film when she becomes the focus later in the film. Cooper's portrayal of Bernstein feels however like a 2D caricture and a massive missed opportunity with the music available to pull from. At times, the movie is truly moving, but it's all too inconsistent.
Couldn't agree more with the review, and find as usual you articulate the concerns better. I had not known about the children having input into the film. Upon reflection, you certainly can see this. Much like Neil Armstrong's wife's input into First Man. Don't think I want my ex-wife working on a biopic for me. Just sayin. You hadn't mentioned one observation of mine which was the smoking and cigarettes. I imagine the budget for cigarettes would be close to that for Cooper. They are everywhere! But think production, continuity, takes and retakes and different angle shots of people speaking. Even after one person can no longer partake, the other blatently continues in front of them. I did not like this. The prosthetic nose and chin and Cooper's work on the accent didn't work for me either and was a distraction. As you said about Oppenheimer, Murphy worked from the inside-out rather than Cooper's reverse of it. I didn't care about the people involved. Pretentious NY upper crust. Much like Napoleon too, the greatness of the man is missed by delving too deeply into his mixed up personal life.
Hey, just curious since you mentione d it: what's your fave version of "A Star Is Born"? For me, the only one I can stand is the Frederic March/Janet Gaynor version, for about 10,000 reasons. (There are things I like about the Garland/Mason version but some of that movie makes me gag! lol) (I didn't think Mason and Garland had ANY chemistry any more than Cooper/Gaga...or Streisand and Kristoferson!) The original version is really great though, I'll never badmouth it!
@@deepfocuslens Interesting! Thanks! There are some great scenes in it, don't get me wrong. i think the scene where she talks to the judge is some of the best acting Garland ever did.
First of all, thanks for your reviews. You're one of the smartest critics out there. Re: "Maestro." Haven't watched it (waste of time) but followed comments on it so have pretty good idea. Letting the kids have de facto creative control was a major mistake because of course they were going to protect their parents' reputations. The brutal truth is that Lenny lied to America about who he was sexually to protect his position, and Felicia sold her dignity to keep her position. No woman with any honor would have accepted her husband fucking around like Lenny did. The movie also avoided that the Bernsteins were political idiots pandering to the worst "progressive" elements of the Democratic Party. Tom Wolfe, of course, skewered them in "Radical Chic" and was never forgiven for it, but he was right. For contrast, I'm curious if you've ever seen any of Ken Russell's musical biopics. He did several for BBC Television, including one on Mahler, before hitting the big screen, infamously one-lining his Tchaikovsky biopic, "The Music Lovers" as "A homosexual meets a nymphomaniac." Russell was attacked for his over-the-top films, but I think he got closer to the truth that the burning passions that drove them to create were also destructive forces that usually overwhelmed them in the end. A movie which did this much better than "Maestro" was "Tar" where her private lesbian life and personal transgressions gradually destroy her professional career and she winds up in Asia recording soundtracks for Anime. Unless you're willing to dig and find the truth, no matter what it is, the work is going to be a lie. "Maestro" (as far as I can tell) is a beautifully crafted lie...
Would be interested to hear your take on my favorite movie the lobster (2015) it’s by Jorgos Lanthimos the same director of killing of a sacred deer which you said you enjoyed
@@GizmoBeach i love all his films the deadpan delivery of the characters juxtaposed with ridiculous things happening around them cracks me up, i rewatched killing of a sacred deer and the favorite recently I especially enjoyed the favorite on a 2nd watch. in what way would you say the lobster is badly executed? The only thing I can think of off hand is some of rachel Weisz’s delivery was off/not as subtle as I would have liked compared to the other actors (the torch scene in particular), it’s a very strange film so can understand why it’s not for everyone but to me it’s the most interesting/hilarious film ever made
I couldn’t disagree more. I thought the movie was good. I just wished it could’ve explored more connection with the supporting characters and a little bit of his involvement in the film scoring business.
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It feels like ppl really picked up on the motivations behind this film not being true to what the movie is trying to convince us it’s presenting. Instead of bringing a giant of his time to life for potentially a brand new audience, it seems like Bradley cooper wanted to be lauded like Bernstein and the estate wanted to enshrine their parents relationship in some way.
Great review btw! I really appreciate your straightforward and knowledgeable approach. To me the second best thing to watching movies is talking about them 😊
Coopers performance was like watching good karaoke. Solid impersonation with no soul.
Totally agree it did a deep disservice to Bernstein, and frankly reductive to Felicia as well. The real Felicia was a dynamic and influential person in her own right who was a peace activist and heavily involved in organizing and funding social change. Both the Bernsteins led passionate socially involved lives and brought glamour and public interest back to classical performances. None of this was portrayed in the movie, which was a series of absolutely stunningly beautiful set pieces and gorgeous shots, visual composition, and excellent acting-- with absolutely no story or plot. Really a deeply tragic missed opportunity to tell the story of a remarkable life and huge artistic figure who was a creative genius but who was also an educator who impacted the popular imagination of his time and increased engagement with the arts at an unprecedented level. He meant SO much more than the movie portrayed, and I felt it was a stunningly shot piece of gratuitous self-indulgence that served Bradley Coopers ego instead of serving the story and legacy of a truly great artist.
I must share this channel with students who are learning about film critique, your language is clear and I get more added perspective, it's not about agreeing it's about seeing a fresh take. More needed in today's world !
You are, genuinely, the only film critic I take seriously.
There are a few critics I've liked over the years -- Pauline Kael, Anthony Lane and DeepFocusLens
Almost every film critic on youtube and rottentomatoes is a sell-out, trying to kiss up to the industry to get invites to parties and screenings. They rave over nearly everything, the more pretentious the harder they rave.
Honesty and high standards are the 2 most important qualities I want in a critic and she's perfect
@@LisaMurphyweird. I think it’s the opposite, hate channels who hate everything seem to be thriving the most
@@123rockfan Really? I'd like to see some of those channels. Can you refer me to a couple please?
Cringey comment alert: I am still so thankful for this channel, just having a reviewer here who is articulate, and who can talk about film in a way which is both erudite and accessible. And no flashy intro, ego, hype or star ratings. Thank you.
I enjoy listening to her reviews cause she makes interesting comparisons and has insight but her analysis is typically surface level and I find her overly negative and a bit too rambly.
She’s literally the best film critic in RUclips ❤
Ok calm down
@@ssssssstssssssssHaving actual standards mandates a certain amount of negativity when it comes to critiquing movies made in the 21st century. Nothing wrong with it at all.
Shame that the reviews have no structure though. It's just someone rambling on. This video is a prime example.
I hated the experience of watching the film but I couldn’t put my confusion, boredom and disappointment into words - and then I found your review and you nailed so much of it. Thank you!
Wow, I didn't think that anybody would agree with my thoughts on this film so completely. I reinstated my Netflix account just to watch this movie as a Christmas present to myself. I've performed in a few Bernstein pieces and the beauty of his music, along with his passionate conducting and love for Mahler's work have, over the years, brought me to absolute tears. But, hey, I found out more about both Felicia AND Lenny from a PBS documentary YEARS AGO that I still have on VHS. The first hour of this film is little more than mumbling, muddled, just bad dialogue, and the second hour was all about how Felicia gave up her life for his. Lorrr, really? What about her civil rights work? What about her TIME MAGAZINE cover where she's holding up a fist for the Cause? All we get in this film is her sitting on the bottom of a swimming pool. Is that how white women suffer in silence? Just because his breath and cigarette smell reminds her of her father? Funny but okay. I also thought that his sister could've been used to give a lot of his back story in terms of family, where he/they came from and how that influenced his future. Well, since I did have the Netflix back up, I went on over to the film, 'RUSTIN' and got what I was looking for. Superb dialogue and acting. So, we'll see as far as Oscar's go.
Could not agree with you more. Mumbling and muddled dialogue says it perfectly.
0
Getting serious.
I personally really love the film. But Carey Mulligan is sensational! She deserves all the awards.
Me too. In a perfect world, Mulligan would win Best Actress this year. But she won't.
Thank you so much for this HONEST review. I can truly say that I agree with everything that you said including what you said about Cary Muligan.
Agreed. It was at least about something, but so is a 1950s chemistry textbook, and I also go to films for entertainment. Mulligan was fantastic. As its own piece of art, not simply representing Bernstein’s, Maestro was too scattered and anxious not to fall short.
The movie was basically Bradley Cooper begging for an oscar for two hours. Yeah, the movie looks and sounds great, Carey Mulligan was fantastic... but the movie as a whole felt empty and pointless.
Complete honesty. Bravo. I’m coming to you first for reviews. Stay the course of integrity.
I'm glad I finally found a film critic who is grounded and thorough! There's no fluff or fanboying in your critiques, and I appreciate how wonderfully articulate you are. Keep up the great work!
I completely agree with your thoughts on Maestro, it was an empty movie and ultimately felt like a waste of time. Which is a grand shame because there is so much more to explore with Leonard Bernstein and his music that could make for a compelling biopic.
Best review of this movie I've seen so far, right on the money. Pageantry triumphing over complexity. Bernstein deserved far better than this.
I talk to a person (bass singer) who actually worked with Mr. Bernstein in his old years. what he said was:" brilliant musician, brilliant conductor, wanting to fuck everything that moves."
I liked a lot of the shot composition and long takes. Carey was the best for sure, but there were even times where I didn't fully buy into her, either. But yeah, the movie felt pretty hollow, overall.
How do you think it went in the casting room when Bradley had to kiss a couple of guys? Do you think it played out like his interview on Jimmy Fallon?
Thank you! You are right on target! I had to force myself to watch the entire film after almost giving up after the first 10 minutes. And I studied music performance --- growing up with Berstein as one of my heroes. What a major dissappointment this movie was. It, too, seemed to me to be targeted to the Academy voting members rather than to any potentially appreciative viewing audience.
The more a person likes, admires, and has studied LB, the less they will like this film. The Mahler church scene is hard to watch.
I think the biopic is best left to the television movie. TV movies, remember those? Christ I'm old.
celebrate agedness
It’s Netflix though. Isn’t that a TV movie?
You might be old, but you’re not alone….😐
Horror Geek.
What are talking about?! Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story was a great cinematic biopic.
the chainsmoking in the movie made me laugh. Yes they smoked a lot in that era. We get it.But to show them smoke one after another was so satirical.
Insightful review. I do agree so much with you on this film. One thing I’ve also found in other reviews was much admiration for the film technique use which I don’t agree with.
I disliked the cinematography. No reason to have the black and white in the first half, and the ancient box ratio throughout. Pretentious odd angles, often through doorways, long shots of people talking, obscured by objects, taken from hundreds of feet away. Non engaging insider conversations that were too often just inconsequential small talk. Cooper’s performance was a cross between shallow impersonation and over the top charicature. I missed Bernstein’s innate intelligence which you can find in every RUclips interview with him.
Would have been nice if they really tried to explore the creative process in creating his music.
Loved Carry Mulligan’s (a real actor) performance as Felicia.
This movie just reeked of pretentious artistry.
What a missed opportunity. Amadeus while not a faithful biography was still for me magical, Maestro was a boorish slog.
I liked Maestro, but I love your ability to articulate your thoughts and opinions on the film. So much appreciation for your content!
If the movie exposes more people to Mahler's 2nd symphony and that's a good thing. The movie has shortcomings but I still enjoyed it. I would have put more emphasis on his musical achievements and great influence on young musicians. But huge props to Bradley Cooper for taking on this monumental project.
Totally agree. I honestly feel like this is a film that gets by on how good the music. When someone hears Mahler 2 for the first time, it knocks their socks off. If the worst directors on the planet were told to direct the Ely Cathedral sequence, it would still blow audiences away just because the Mahler 2 climax is that good. Nothing else matters in the film; that's all they'll remember. And yet you can watch that entire performance of Mahler 2 on youtube and probably learn more about Bernstein just from that.
My gosh. Respect.
Your comments on A Star is Born match what I felt so perfectly. I’m relieved and justified in my negative feelings about it.
Maestro SAME!
You have a new subscriber. Can’t thank you enough.
Keep on keeping it real…….
Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of a fictional top symphony orchestra conductor (Lydia Tar) felt more compelling and captivating than Bradley’s attempt to bring to life one of classical’s music most iconic figures.
There I said it.
Getting stoned in 3, 2, 1…..
Totally agree! Then again, Kate Blanchett is one of the best actors working today. 😊
Not even a hot take when it's the truth. Her portrayal of Lydia Tár is seriously one of my most compelling performances of this decade. Cate Blanchett is in a whole other league as an actor compared to Bradley Cooper.
The Lydia Tár erasure in Maestro was the last straw for me!
@@ssg8tee Her performance was nothing short of a masterclass in acting, I have a few theatre friends, who were in awe of Blanchett's Lydia Tar. Academy is a joke for snubbing TAR
Did you really think you would get stoned for saying one of the most acclaimed films in recent history is better than something put out by Netflix?
"Listen to the music." That sums it up! Thank you... I love your reviews (even when I disagree... which I don't in this case)!
Just watched in Netflix. Totally agree with you. You're in my go to reviewer now on
Your “outside in”point and comparison to Killian Murphy’s choices. Less concerned about the imitation. More the internalized character development. With Maestro we never get the growth and evolution of the character. In the argument during the parade it was a lot of expository dialogue which should have been made clearer in Act 1.
Thank you. It was supremely disappointing. Everyone has a personal life not everyone is a great composer.
Damn good review. Keep up the consistent great work and passion.
Wonderful commentary loved the review - the voice was so artificial and everything after that followed. The underdeveloped relationships scratched the surface including his relationship to music. Years of in cohesive smorgasbord.
I spent 2 plus hours and I learned zero about this man so I went on wiki and was like you could make a 10 hour mini series…
Me too. haha.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I wanted to like this movie. I am so thankful and grateful for Cooper’s passion on LB’s life and work and I too am an unapologetic fanboy of Bernstein. As a professional musician (violinist) I want a great LB bio to be made. But this project is almost impossible anyway. You can’t really capture LB’s magic any better than seeing the genuine footage of him which is pretty accessible on RUclips. And of course if you were fortunate to see him in person or even witness his life first hand there is simply nothing that can compare. The actual raw footage of LB conducting Mahler is stirring and captivating. Just watch that. Or watch his Harvard lectures. Or go see West Side Story.
Literally one of THE most intelligent and detailed movie reviewers of our time, thank YOU all ways #thewonderwomanifmoviereviews And I don’t think possible for any decades long major hollywood actor (especially a ‘pretty boy’) that could deliver and direct a truly deep movie and about a music legend
That hashtag is killing me lmao. What are you, 12?
@@nalday2534lmao
@@nalday2534 Wonder Woman _if_ ???
@@johnpjones182
Yeah *if* as in:
Maggie can be described as “What *if* Wonder Woman would review films instead of being a super powered amazonian world saving warrior princess.”
…or something like that
@@nalday2534 actually I find the inappropriate use of hashtags a boomer thing
Thank you for pointing out the silly trend now of, "it was really a female genius all along."
Excellent review!
You seem to know a lot about Bernstein too.
Here's my review of Maestro: Zzzzzzz. I learned more about the Leonard - Felicia relationship after watching the film when I had to go back and look up articles on the web. The movie never had the courage to go into the compromised nature of their relationship.
Please consider reviewing The Holdover, one of the great films of 2023
I second this
Thank you for validating what I felt when I watched the trailer.
i'd say Mulligan's best performance is Wildlife (2018)
Excellent review. I totally agree.
Me too! It was awful, just awful! I knew it would be due to how netflix really showcased it. Uh oh, disaster. It was terrible and just completely missed how talented Bernstein was.
I think this movie could be summed up as ; its a biopic for the academy. I hate biopics, sans Oppenheimer if that counts as one, I'd much rather watch a documentary if you're delving into a public figures life. Great review as always
I watched the movie yesterday and my first impression was vaguely positive, the movie seemed shallow but nice, with some beautiful images and interesting movie making. I am a classical music listener and, despite the fact that Bernstein is frequently not my preferred interpreter in much of the classical repertory, there is a kind of sincerity and personal involvement in its music making that is very touching. And in a few cases it creates magic. I like very much several of his compositions, such as West Side Story and Candide, and find his master classes, Harvard conferences, Young’s People concerts, etc. brilliant. He has an outstanding ability to make the internal workings of music, which are so difficult to understand for a non-specialist, crystal clear, not intellectually, as most musicologists do, but emotionally, as most of us approach music. Unfortunately there is no trace of Bernstein’s extraordinary musical gifts, his intelligence and intellectual brilliance, his outstanding technical and professional competence in the movie. Nobody is invited to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic or the Berlin Philharmonic or to record by the Deutsche Gramophon of the seventies and eighties because he his considered a star by New York high society. Bernstein was at that moment one of the best conductors and one of the most stimulating composers in the world and the only thing that is shown in the movie is that everywhere he looks he sees a nice guy that he wishes to attract immediately. Curiously, things that are common place in the professional music world are overemphasized and shown as evidence of Bernstein outstanding musical personality: it is normal that the assistant conductor replaces the conductor is he cannot conduct a particular concert. A few months ago the young Portuguese conductor Diniz de Sousa, assistant conductor of the English Baroque Soloists, replaced John Eliot Gardiner at very short notice when he stepped down in a concert and singers do that very frequently as well. So I cannot agree more with you. The movie ignores everything that is important…
“
There is one musical biopic that worked in semi recent years: GET ON UP, starring Chadwick Boseman as James Brown. Its refusal to be linear, or a hagiography, plus his performance made it work. MAESTRO, I agree, is a mostly damp squib. LB needed to be made relevant for an audience, and the film for any of its showmanship or refined qualities didn't do that.
I just watched it and I agree.
Mulligan is great!
Bradley, stick to acting
The final shot made no sense to me. Instead of that feeling you get with a truly satisfying ending, I had the feeling I must have missed something, but I knew I didn't. I also think that Cooper should have known that the lyrics the chorus was singing in the climax is key to conveying the emotion of the performance. It would have been better to have Bernstein read the words in a setup scene, or just find some way to convey them prior so that those who don't know can enjoy the experience with those who do. I saw it with my sister and read the translation of Mahler's text to her in the car. She was much more moved after knowing them.
I thought it would be better to put the Ely cathedral Mahler performance at the end instead. The epilogue at the end just leaves it hanging
I did not have a connection to Leonard Bernstein, so I thoroughly enjoyed the love story. But hearing your review helps me see why there is a lot of disappointment. Thank you for the helpful and authentic review!
If you can't tell it's Bernstein conducting by simply listening to a recording that you haven't heard before, you don't know Bernstein. Bradley just didn't take his time to know him that well. I don't think so. That is why he failed with his attempt to look like how Bernstein conducted the Mahler piece.
I think you are right. I did not like .a Star is Born either, we must be the only ones. I have not seen Maestro yet, but everything you say is very interesting. I also think Cillian Murphy sadly will lose against Bradley Cooper. Cheers from Spain .
You have basically expressed all my views on this film just having watched it. It felt fake, mannered, not genuine. I have seen several of Leonard Bernstein’s concerts and they all are magnificent. It is just as you said, there is a glow and fire in Bernstein when he is conducting which is not even remotely present in Bradley Coopers performance.
It just another mediocre movie.
Spot on review. Love your honesty.
I completely agree. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills seeing all the praise this film has gotten.
The movie felt completely fragmented, the dialogue felt unnatural and too contrived. The kind of dialogue you write for awards and not for actual storytelling. I don't feel like I know the Bernsteins any better after watching the film. And funny enough, this movie should've been called the Bernsteins and not Maestro since it wasn't at all about his music.
You can feel the desperation for accolades in every frame of this.
You're killing it! Thanks for working so hard lately and giving us so many thoughtful reviews :)
The amount of pretentious interviews with Bradley the last few weeks surrounding this film has been overkill and turned me off to seeing it. Not surprised to hear this honestly. I'll give it a shot, though I'm expecting it to be painful.
finally a review I can agree with. It IS boring. Turned it off shortly after the switch from B&W to color.
The problem I had watching Maestro is I would much too often see Bradley Cooper rather than Bernstein. Yes, he did his homework and some good acting with Bernstein's manners, but still, could never really get into the character. I guess that's the risk of making a movie of a legend who we saw tons of times.
This performance is Bradley literally begging for the oscar now. Checking all the boxes. Which makes it more weird to award him.
worked for DiCaprio
Oscars have little merit. Nowadays more about virtue signaling than true artistry / talent.
Normally I would say we should give it to him just so he can quit embarrassing himself by chasing it so blatantly, but Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer was absolutely incredible, and if he doesn't win there is no justice in this world.
Bingo… totally!
Literally my first thought the moment I saw the trailer. Bradley is gagging for that Oscar and it's kinda obnoxious at this point. I'm hoping Cillian Murphy wins just to rub salt in the wound since his performance is actually brilliant compared to whatever Bradley is doing.
I suppose Jake Gyllenhaal, who almost got to do his Bernstein film with Cary Fukunaga, would have been phenomenal in the role.
Better than Cooper’s impersonation of Martin Short playing Leonard Bernstein?
@@sonotdown998 I feel like I remember Martin Short’s version… sctv so good
I could smell the vanity months in advance! Excellent and thorough review 🫡
Really nice take on the film. It seemed that the filmakers assumed that everyone intimately understood the genius of Bernstein and therfor our focus should be directed toward Felicia.
"Why do the women have to be the saviors and the heroes of everything these days?"
Ugh......exactly.
You watch 10 movies a year
3rd wave Feminist
virtue hoarding maybe?
Excellent, smart, on-point review.
RE: American bio-pic idéology and narrative arc, ad-nauseum:
1. Feature widely beloved, sanctified, publicly cleansed iconic figure, preferably DEAD.
2. Impose upon them an arc of his/her rise out of modest and/or marginalized background
3. Erase historical and very much extant class, race, gender structuralized inequities by making class, race, gender structuralized inequities largely personal prejudices of "bad" individual antagonists in the "distant" past that our "post--racial," we're-all-cured-and-good-now" America has settled
4. After initial ascendence to fame, héros et héroïne succumbs to vice(s)-- drugs, drink, hubris, etc.--then héros or héroïne falls from grace
FINALE: Héros et héroïne rallies through the "love" of a heart-of-gold stock love interest, and thereby stages the triumphant comeback performance, after which the Héros or héroïne rides, sings, plays, acts, inspires away into the sunset.
Addendum: Make all héros et héroïnes relentlessly cis-gen, heterosexual and ERASE any depiction of or engagement with said héros' et héroïnes' possible, likely, and/or known sexual fluidity (e.g. biographers, historians, and peers all speculated on or state that Bernstein experienced Gay attractions and encounters ).
The End.
Roll credits.
Collect beaucoup des Oscars, replete with treacle-and-tears acceptance speech.
TAKEAWAY: American biopic movies (versus cinéma) turn Hannah Arendt's concept of "banality of evil" on its head, i.e., "The evil of banality."
The movie is on the nose? LMAO
Saw the film yesterday. Couldn't agree more. You are a great film critic. I am becoming fan of you.
It didn’t seem like the movie was trying to present his wife as the point of the scene when her profile came into the scene, I think that scene was trying to show how she admired him and wanted him back in her life. Just for clarification was that the scene in the church?
I couldn't agree more. This movie is all over the place.
I found Bernstein’s conversations very meaningful and thought provoking. The wife, in my opinion, represented all who loved him - a glorious but heartbreaking love at the same time.
Still waiting to watch this film, but i thoroughly enjoyed your review. Ive heard from others as well that Bradley overdoes things a bit and it's pretty obvious he was winking at the Academy voters the entire time. Meanwhile, there seems to be a growing consensus that Carey rendered an exceptionally brilliant performance in this film. She is one on my list of Best actress nominees for the upcoming Academy Awards. As for Best Actor, it'll be between Bradley and Cillian, with Bradley having the edge because of narrative and more connections within the Academy.
Wow. You nailed it. You really can just watch interviews and documentaries on Leonard and learn more than watching this film. It was a missed opportunity in writing. They really missed the opportunity to incorporate Mahler (beyond that one extended scene). Mahler’s music pairs so well with the personality of Bernstein. They’re interconnected. If they somehow showed the process of Bernstein discovering Mahler, falling in love with that music and wanting the world to see, it would’ve made the cathedral scene way more satisfying.
The perfect opportunity was after the interview where Bernstein laments his composition work isn’t that much. That’s the moment the story can shift and show Bernstein’s amazing impact on the 20th century in his conducting, and teaching.
Should’ve been called The Maestro’s Wife.
Hypothetically, as someone who may have potentially went to a early screening of this film. When watching the early preview of this film i literally said, this film is automatically worse for the sinple fact that Cate Blanchett gave the performance of the decade last year in TAR. Many viewers literally said that Maestro feels like a bootleg tryhard version of Bradley even mimicing Blanchett in his attempt to win an Oscar. This film is very underwhelming. That being said Bomer was criminally underused and Carey Mulligan was sensationally subdued but authentic. But you can tell that this is clearly a vanity project over the Oscar over like you said, having something worthwhile to say
They didn't even pick the correct piece for his conducting. By his own words Beethoven's Op. 131 quartet set for orchestra was his crowning conducting achievement. I have posted this incredible video. As a professional ballet dancer and classical musician, I found this movie to be awful in so many ways. I also grew up with Bernstein and learning with a record player, so I have a direct historical perspective. I already listed my reasons on why this movie was poor and misinforming on another youtube page.
@@DogecoinBros Gary Oldman is freaking awesome. Sid and Nancy (Sid Vicious), Dark Knight (Gordon), Immortal Beloved (Ludwig van Beethoven), Bram Stoker's (Dracula). This is an amazing diverse repertoire. He is not Oldman playing these characters. He is one of the rare actors that becomes the character, and you say, "Who was that?"
Great review as always. Just curious on the point of music biopics, have you seen Walk Hard? That movie obliterates the entire formula of the genre so thoroughly that I cannot for the life of me understand why people still make unironic ones.
Doing your reviews in a Dutch angle now - love it. ;P
I haven't seen _A Star is Born_ or _Maestro,_ and doubt I will. Bradley Cooper has a monstrous ego, as evinced by a comment in an interview he gave about _Silver Linings Playbook._ He lauded himself for going into the editing room and helping out, and generally presenting himself to filmmakers as more than just an actor, but as a "resource". He's a pretty good actor, and may be a good director (don't know) but this is fairly crass behavior and attitude, IMHO. I could be wrong, I suppose, but this is the sort of thing that only a small handful of genuine creative geniuses can pull off. Orson Welles and Bernard Herrmann come to mind. For those two, I'd have probably put up with almost anything.
I really wanted to like it but it really was boring... The acting is really good but I agree it feels like it's trying to be something but not even the film knows what that is.
"Only do it if it feels convincing." Wise words that Hollywood needs to start living by again.
waiting for your review of POOR THINGS!!
yes!!
Bingo on all counts Deepfocus. There were times watching this film when for all the great make up it was still just Bradley Cooper wearing a fake nose. That's harsh given Cooper's immense talents. Loved your review none the less. Looking forward to Oppenheimer after what you said about the film.
What I hated about Maestro is that it's about his personal life, not the music. This is a problem that Hollywood has had for a long time. They feel that by focusing on his personal life, they can give us more of a dramatic effect, and get greater performances; which is a cheat. They have no faith that a film about the music and his life as a conductor would have interested audiences.
Totally agree. There are many people of great accomplishment who are not interesting. Some actors too. In the Levy Cathedral scene where Bradley does a lot of sweating there is a fascinating woman violinist. Ten seconds. She steals the movie.
People are talking more about A Star is Born in these comments than Maestro. 🤨
I think because Maestro is limited until December 22 in the US it’s inevitable
Thank you for this! Could you please review May December?
It doesn’t matter if you love or hate the movie, or fall somewhere in between…your videos always deliver and you’re cute too, the way you always hold your hand to side of your face like you’re using telekinesis on us all
So sorry to hear that this bio of Leonard Bernstein did not capture the truth and emotions of the man. I suppose the closest you can get
in that play would be to check out the West Side Story sessions with Leonard Bernstein conducting his work and Jose Carreras as the star tenor
in this no holds back heated rehearsal. I saw this doc on Deutsche Gramophone Laser disc and it was like sitting in on the sessions.
It gave you a very honest look at the artists involved.
You didn't hear that "this bio of Leonard Bernstein did not capture the truth and emotions of the man", you only head a woman saying it didn't.
Refreshing to hear a woman call out neo-feminism agenda when she sees it. Good for you putting truth and art above political, social agenda movements. Films become Art when they transcend any movement of the moment and concentrate on the Truth of the subject at hand. Appreciate your honest efforts.
This is a food salad. You have no idea what you're trying to say
@@nalday2534 Buzzzzz off, gnat.
@@JJGerrard1980 or what you'll make a rant about how young people are killing what your ancestors built like an embarrassing boomer that you are?
@@nalday2534someone is having a bad day… wish you the best madam/sir
@@nalday2534Made perfect sense to me.
Spot on Maggie! I so wanted to love this movie and did NOT! My fundamental problem is the script. It's a pot pour of moments versus a story. I wished they had taken a moment dug deep into to it to find truth and the person that Bernstein was. My best illustration in the meaningless insertion of Mahler's Resurrection with zero build up or payoff. It's like a compilation video. Sad.
it was awful couldn't watch - thanks for describing me and it makes me even happier that I didn't stick around to watch it. Netflix should lower their prices, but they have to help people like Prince Harry to live high as inheriting a fortune from his mother and allowance from his dad isn't enough. groan
I'm not even a huge berenstein fanatic, admittedly I have yet to even fully integrate appreciation for the man's artistry, but even I found this film, though wasn't meant to be ill intended, felt disrespectful to the life and legacy of the genius himself. From a technical standpoint the film was well executed I'll give it that and the highest note for which the movie exhibits is the Powerhouse performance delivered by Carey Mulligan she is one of my favorite actresses of the our current time and she was remarkably astonishing!! But when you're trying to encapsulate and honor the Life and times of such an iconic figure you want to find a fine balance between celebration of the artistry and the achievements for what their remembered for as well as flesh out the dramatics and pivotal moments of their personal journey but this film felt very one sided and barely touches the significance and process of Leonard Bernstein's structure of creativity. The movie as a whole was practically an exercise in socialism examining the behaviors pertaining towards the individuals and relationships surrounding Bernstein's life rather exploring and experimenting with the foundation of his life's work. Which isn't necessarily a bad approach unfortunately it just didn't do the man justice. And you make a very accurate point about how the film tries to utilize his relationship with Felicia as a means to being the ultimate driving force of his personal display and career-defining ingenuity . I found that to be quite an unsettling and irritable quality of the film. Now regarding Bradley Cooper's performance while his all-out efforts may be admirable it didn't exactly feel as truly authentic as Cooper's interpretation was intended I must agree in saying that his execution felt like a deeply studied impersonated caricature of Leonard rather than a full fledged to-the-bone embodiment. However I will admit that I think his panache shines the most during the moments were given when he is conducting especially the six minute sequence of Mahler's second symphony at Ely Cathedral which between that and Felicia's close-up conversation with Lenny's sister I think is the best part of the film. And you make a very interestingly true point about how the Cooper and his approach to Bernstein is working from the outside in rather than the inside out with like how Cillian Murphy did as Oppenheimer which I found to be a symphonic performance and brilliant poetic cautionary tale of a film. Overall though this motion picture was disappointing.😑😒
Funny, I forgot until you started talking about A Star is Born that I'm sitting on a couch that was screen used in that film - I got it while working on a WB show. Sitting on said couch as I watch this review.
Excellent review that explains how I felt afterwards better than I could myself.
Mulligan is brilliant and transforms the film when she becomes the focus later in the film.
Cooper's portrayal of Bernstein feels however like a 2D caricture and a massive missed opportunity with the music available to pull from.
At times, the movie is truly moving, but it's all too inconsistent.
Couldn't agree more with the review, and find as usual you articulate the concerns better. I had not known about the children having input into the film. Upon reflection, you certainly can see this. Much like Neil Armstrong's wife's input into First Man. Don't think I want my ex-wife working on a biopic for me. Just sayin. You hadn't mentioned one observation of mine which was the smoking and cigarettes. I imagine the budget for cigarettes would be close to that for Cooper. They are everywhere! But think production, continuity, takes and retakes and different angle shots of people speaking. Even after one person can no longer partake, the other blatently continues in front of them. I did not like this. The prosthetic nose and chin and Cooper's work on the accent didn't work for me either and was a distraction. As you said about Oppenheimer, Murphy worked from the inside-out rather than Cooper's reverse of it. I didn't care about the people involved. Pretentious NY upper crust. Much like Napoleon too, the greatness of the man is missed by delving too deeply into his mixed up personal life.
Hey, just curious since you mentione d it: what's your fave version of "A Star Is Born"? For me, the only one I can stand is the Frederic March/Janet Gaynor version, for about 10,000 reasons. (There are things I like about the Garland/Mason version but some of that movie makes me gag! lol) (I didn't think Mason and Garland had ANY chemistry any more than Cooper/Gaga...or Streisand and Kristoferson!) The original version is really great though, I'll never badmouth it!
Despite its flaws, I gotta go with the Cukor version.
@@deepfocuslens Interesting! Thanks! There are some great scenes in it, don't get me wrong. i think the scene where she talks to the judge is some of the best acting Garland ever did.
First of all, thanks for your reviews. You're one of the smartest critics out there.
Re: "Maestro." Haven't watched it (waste of time) but followed comments on it so have pretty good idea. Letting the kids have de facto creative control was a major mistake because of course they were going to protect their parents' reputations. The brutal truth is that Lenny lied to America about who he was sexually to protect his position, and Felicia sold her dignity to keep her position. No woman with any honor would have accepted her husband fucking around like Lenny did. The movie also avoided that the Bernsteins were political idiots pandering to the worst "progressive" elements of the Democratic Party. Tom Wolfe, of course, skewered them in "Radical Chic" and was never forgiven for it, but he was right.
For contrast, I'm curious if you've ever seen any of Ken Russell's musical biopics. He did several for BBC Television, including one on Mahler, before hitting the big screen, infamously one-lining his Tchaikovsky biopic, "The Music Lovers" as "A homosexual meets a nymphomaniac." Russell was attacked for his over-the-top films, but I think he got closer to the truth that the burning passions that drove them to create were also destructive forces that usually overwhelmed them in the end. A movie which did this much better than "Maestro" was "Tar" where her private lesbian life and personal transgressions gradually destroy her professional career and she winds up in Asia recording soundtracks for Anime.
Unless you're willing to dig and find the truth, no matter what it is, the work is going to be a lie. "Maestro" (as far as I can tell) is a beautifully crafted lie...
Spot on review. I wasn't moved at all and saw the film as a missed opportunity. Very disappointing.
Would be interested to hear your take on my favorite movie the lobster (2015) it’s by Jorgos Lanthimos the same director of killing of a sacred deer which you said you enjoyed
Interesting idea…awful execution (same as Dogtooth)
Deer and Favourite, much better works.
@@GizmoBeach i love all his films the deadpan delivery of the characters juxtaposed with ridiculous things happening around them cracks me up, i rewatched killing of a sacred deer and the favorite recently I especially enjoyed the favorite on a 2nd watch. in what way would you say the lobster is badly executed? The only thing I can think of off hand is some of rachel Weisz’s delivery was off/not as subtle as I would have liked compared to the other actors (the torch scene in particular), it’s a very strange film so can understand why it’s not for everyone but to me it’s the most interesting/hilarious film ever made
I completely agree with everything you said. At least the movie made me feel something. Insulted.
I couldn’t disagree more. I thought the movie was good. I just wished it could’ve explored more connection with the supporting characters and a little bit of his involvement in the film scoring business.
Love your analysis, amazing as usual ❤