Maestro

[marty]

To all you naysayers this was a movie not about his music or his legacy but rather about his relationship with his wife. We shall see when the nominations come out.

Exactly. It really was her movie, not his. I think the disappointment is because they expected the film to be centered about Lenny, but he was really the foil for her story. She knew "exactly who he was" when she married him, but had no idea how their relationship would evolve.

While there were moments of direction that were tributes to film noire, on the whole the directing was not top tier. Using intermittent B&W in 4:3 format offered no advantage IMHO than standard color 16:9 filming. Cooper may have thought it was "artsy" and in the hands of a better director, it may have been, but it didn;t work here, at least for me. The scene at the Fairfield house when you are looking at a conversation between Lenny and Felicia held on the other side of a fence as viewed from a distance on a long trellised path was so bad that any film school major would have gotten an F if that was their project. The Dakota scene was the best scene in the movie, and in fact was the essence of the movie in a single scene. I've listened to Bernstein's lectures for years and as far as I know he never displayed the nasal voice that Cooper portrayed in his character. Was it the prosthetics? Don't know but it was an embarrassing effort to replicate how Bernstein really spoke. I never believed the character was real becasue of it. That's what made it NOT seamless acting for me and thus an automatic DQ for an Oscar. On the other hand those 6 min conducting M2 was a masterpiece of acting although most of the credit there should go to Yannick's coaching. I've seen Yannick conduct 20 times and for all the world it seemed like it was really him conducting that scene. Well done Mr. Cooper. But Scorsese/DeNiro/DiCaprio you are not. Sorry.

 

[bonzo75]

To all you naysayers this was a movie not about his music or his legacy but rather about his relationship with his wife. We shall see when the nominations come out.

i have zero interest in the relationship of any conductor or musician with his wife or kids. Now if there is a well directed movie where the lead character happens to conductor, even fictional, that’s fine. Bugs bunny with Leopold Stokowski was much better

 

[bonzo75]

We shall see when the nominations come out.

why wait that long. the ratings of 6.8 reflect the poor quality.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

To all you naysayers this was a movie not about his music or his legacy but rather about his relationship with his wife. We shall see when the nominations come out.

Why would that inform us?

 

[joc2012]

Havent watched and probably wont. Was excited when I heard about it, but apparently it's all about his personal/love life. Not interested. Would haved loved a real biography focused on his musical develpment and legacy. Maybe that approach wouldnt sell and get an audience?

 

[the sound of Tao]

Exactly. It really was her movie, not his. I think the disappointment is because they expected the film to be centered about Lenny, but he was really the foil for her story. She knew "exactly who he was" when she married him, but had no idea how their relationship would evolve.

While there were moments of direction that were tributes to film noire, on the whole the directing was not top tier. Using intermittent B&W in 4:3 format offered no advantage IMHO than standard color 16:9 filming. Cooper may have thought it was "artsy" and in the hands of a better director, it may have been, but it didn;t work here, at least for me. The scene at the Fairfield house when you are looking at a conversation between Lenny and Felicia held on the other side of a fence as viewed from a distance on a long trellised path was so bad that any film school major would have gotten an F if that was their project. The Dakota scene was the best scene in the movie, and in fact was the essence of the movie in a single scene. I've listened to Bernstein's lectures for years and as far as I know he never displayed the nasal voice that Cooper portrayed in his character. Was it the prosthetics? Don't know but it was an embarrassing effort to replicate how Bernstein really spoke. I never believed the character was real becasue of it. That's what made it NOT seamless acting for me and thus an automatic DQ for an Oscar. On the other hand those 6 min conducting M2 was a masterpiece of acting although most of the credit there should go to Yannick's coaching. I've seen Yannick conduct 20 times and for all the world it seemed like it was really him conducting that scene. Well done Mr. Cooper. But Scorsese/DeNiro/DiCaprio you are not. Sorry.

It’s interesting to see how the biography of one of the more famous figures in 20th century classical music culture became a vehicle for Carey Mulligans’s Felicia Montealegre story. I do think she was easier to watch and her character was far more accessible. Mulligan played it beautifully. There certainly wasn’t any lack of presence or intensity or focus in Bradley Cooper’s Bernstein so it’s interesting how it did become in many ways Felicia’s movie.

I’d have thought the intention was for Maestro to be Leonard Bernstein’s biopic but I think Cooper’s portrayal became such an idea fixed that he left no air around the character or in the delivery of the dialogue and that he made his Lenny mostly inaccessible… there was no breath allowed for us to pause to see into his character and connect to Leonard Bernstein, conductor, composer, teacher.

Apparently Leonard Bernstein did undergo psychotherapy so there may have been more struggle with demons than the movie ever points to. If this was so it would have created a much more dimensional character that could have allowed for greater connection through some empathy for his Bernstein to play through. In the end there was a kind of void in the created character by Cooper and maybe Mulligan’s Felicia just became a bit more of a radiant pull to fill that more human connection in. I suppose it’s possible to dissect it all endlessly but Bernstein was a giant in life in so many ways that he was the natural star (or supernova) for his own biography, just not sure how he really became the other person of interest in the story. In balance he should have been the great person of interest. That said I’m not sure Felicia really deserved a movie, to be honest I’d have not looked forwards to seeing the movie much at all it if it had been called Mrs Maestro.

 

[Steve williams]

i have zero interest in the relationship of any conductor or musician with his wife or kids. Now if there is a well directed movie where the lead character happens to conductor, even fictional, that’s fine. Bugs bunny with Leopold Stokowski was much better

Interesting.

I usually read a review or synopsis or two of any film I’m going to see. Every one I read commented that this was exactly that and yes the film was all about her because she knew going in what he was and left him and told him if he doesn’t change he will become a burned out queen. I appreciate that you don’t care about their relationship. Great. But that was what the film was about. Has nothing to do with his music or his legacy. As for the nominations if I can read posts here that Barbie could be Best Film then anything is possible @Kal Rubinson But at the end of the day my favorite is still Killers of the Flower Moon with Scorsese, Leonardo and DeNiro.

 

[marty]

To be honest, I enjoyed Maestro precisely because I knew nothing about Felicia or her relationship with Lenny. On the other hand, I knew a ton about Bernstein having read about him, and listened to his music and conducting the finest orchestras on the planet for decades. Everybody knows he is singularly responsible for making Mahler standard orchestral repertoire that is widely performed since he popularized Mahler in the 50s. His own music, which is widely performed speaks for itself. So for me, the insight into his marriage was well worth the viewing.

That said, I’m preparing myself for when Lily Gladstone beats out Carey Mulligan for the Oscar. I can’t imagine a more disappointing outcome although if Margot Robbie wins, that would qualify.

 

[ssfas]

We couldn’t believe such producers could come up with such a rubbish film. Sure Carey Mulligan can act, she’s an actress. Bernstein was one of the greats of 20th century music, as composer, conductor, educator, producer and more. The film seemed to be dominated by his sexual duplicity (who cares? Not us.) Why on earth the long excerpt from Mahler 2, which he recorded very late in life, in Ely? What’s the one thing everyone knows about Bernstein, and his greatest triumph - West Side Story - and it gets one line.

Oppenheimer, on the other hand, was a masterpiece, with in depth treatment of his political youth, academic career, the Manhattan Project, tangled love life, and the complex relationship with Lewis Strauss that dominated his later years and reputation. The script was 1000 times better than Maestro.

I saw both in large 500 seat cinemas.

 

[KeithR]

To all you naysayers this was a movie not about his music or his legacy but rather about his relationship with his wife. We shall see when the nominations come out.

So why was the climax in the film Mahler Resurrection at the church?

 

[tima]

To all you naysayers this was a movie not about his music or his legacy but rather about his relationship with his wife. ...

Then why was it called 'Maestro'?

 

[KeithR]

i have zero interest in the relationship of any conductor or musician with his wife or kids. Now if there is a well directed movie where the lead character happens to conductor, even fictional, that’s fine. Bugs bunny with Leopold Stokowski was much better

Funny part is Tar from the year before was better in every way, despite being about a fictional character.

 

[ssfas]

So why was the climax in the film Mahler Resurrection at the church?

Bernstein worked extensively with the leading BBC arts producer Sir Humphrey Burton for 20 years, videoing hundreds of concerts for film and TV, to popularise and educate about classical music. It was a European project similar what he did with the NYP. Ely was one of those concerts. Of course the film failed to explain any of this, making the whole thing rather pointless. The scene ends with a touchy little thing with his wife, failing to mention that a few years later he left her to live with some guy in California.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Interesting.

I usually read a review or synopsis or two of any film I’m going to see. Every one I read commented that this was exactly that and yes the film was all about her because she knew going in what he was and left him and told him if he doesn’t change he will become a burned out queen. I appreciate that you don’t care about their relationship. Great. But that was what the film was about. Has nothing to do with his music or his legacy. As for the nominations if I can read posts here that Barbie could be Best Film then anything is possible @Kal Rubinson But at the end of the day my favorite is still Killers of the Flower Moon with Scorsese, Leonardo and DeNiro.

FWIW, I fully agree with your statements about the movie and I appreciate its intents. I just don't see it as particularly worthy.

 

[jeff1225]

Oppenheimer for me was a dud and overhyped film

I saw Oppenheimer in the movie theater and it was the most riveting and exciting movie I've seen since There Will Be Blood. Did you see it in the theater Steve?

 

[jeff1225]

I watched this moving and was extremely dissapointed. Just like the Miles Davis and James Brown biopics, they focus on their turbulent personal lives and not on the music. Miles was the worst of the bunch however.

Amadeus is the best biopic I've seen of a musician/composer. There is a meaty personal story in Amadeus (mostly fictional) but it is absolutely full of the best music performed by Academy of St Martin in the Fields and Neville Marriner.

 

[Steve williams]

I saw Oppenheimer in the movie theater and it was the most riveting and exciting movie I've seen since There Will Be Blood. Did you see it in the theater Steve?

I did. I thought it overhyped and a dud that was just too long

 

[Steve williams]

FWIW , we all have different tastes and different goals when we go to the movies. Case in point was a few years ago when the Shape of Water won Best Picture. I hated that film.

 

[Gregadd]

What's the shape of water? I was told it sliding molecules that allow it to flow.

 

[spiritofmusic]

FWIW , we all have different tastes and different goals when we go to the movies. Case in point was a few years ago when the Shape of Water won Best Picture. I hated that film.

How did Birdman get made let alone win Best Picture?