Movie Review: Maestro

This film tell the love story between composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and actress Felicia Montraelgre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). After years of complicated fights and a couple of children, she is diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer that has spread to her lungs.

The direction by Bradley Cooper is great, but the film isn’t the best I’ve seen this year. The style of the film shifts as the years go by in the story, something that I both appreciate and am unsure if it works throughout. I found Felicia far more interesting a person than Bernstein and I am not sure if that was then intention since the end of their relationship is so sad.

Cooper is perfect as Bernstein as well, but it is Carey Mulligan who really carried the film for me. I could not tear my eyes away from her performance, especially when Felicia fell ill. The slow decline of her cancer is so heartbreaking, and Mulligan pulls it off so brilliantly. She really outshines Cooper in every scene they share. It’ll be her versus Emma Stone for Best Actress. I’m glad I don’t have to decide and cast a vote.

Three and a half stars out of five. Now streaming on Netflix.