Maestro

By Joanna Langfield

While this is ostensibly a portrait of one of the great artists of the 20^th Century, its most fascinating note is its revelation of Bradley Cooper as a director who, like his subject, won’t settle for the ordinary.

Cooper stars as Leonard Bernstein, the composer and conductor who brought sweeping classics to the masses. I remember watching him, when I was a very little girl, explain on tv all about classical music. And I remember thinking, even then, he was a consummate professional who was consummately watchable. Everybody loved Lenny. Even if we didn’t know half his story. This personal film, created with the approval of Bernstein’s children, tells us that. And sometimes, that story isn’t anywhere near as pretty as was his art.

There’s no question Cooper has a diverse slate of excellent performances to his credit. And yes, he is very solid here, as Bernstein. Does he look enough like the iconic Jewish man to ‘pass’? Yes, he does. So keep your nose out of it. With his lushly helmed revival of A Star is Born he also proved he can not only tell a good story but bring out the best in his co-stars. Here, he does both, again. Carey Mulligan makes wife Felicia so much more than just another devoted wife, in a complex marriage. But, in the director’s chair, Cooper pushes himself, adding a few scenes that are not just beautiful, but breathtaking moments of art onto themselves. Prepare yourself for a ballet sequence that is one of the most exciting artistic decisions and executions I’ve seen in recent American film.

Is Maestro perfect? No, it is not. But, in addition to celebrating one great artist, it proves another one is coming up, just behind him.