The name Leonard Bernstein is one that virtually everyone knows, from his sweeping concertos to the musicals that changed the screen and stage. But his life isn’t one that is as perfect as one would assume. From rumors about his affairs and sexuality to the weight of his fame, his life story is hitting the big screen and later streaming on Netflix.
The movie basically covers his whole professional career from when he had his debut as a conductor at Carnegie Hall, to his love life, marriage, and later years. From his successes to his failures and moments that are uniquely human – often something that people forget about people in the public eye. Punctuating the movie is Bernstein’s own music highlighting the crests and falls of his life. And in an interesting decision, the movie is shot in a similar film style to the decades that the story is taking place. Only going to color film once it was introduced to the media.
Besides his talent, the movie really does show the cost of being considered a genius in your field and industry. For Leondard (Bradley Cooper), the cost was being his true self and being open about who he loved the most. There’s no doubt that he loved his wife and kids, but he wasn’t able to live his life with the men he loved. Instead, he continuously had affairs and relationships that stirred rumors.
But it wasn’t just the cost to Leonard’s life that was on display. His wife, who accepted him completely and knew about his affairs with other men paid the ultimate cost. Felicia Montealegre, portrayed by Carrie Mulligan, plays this flawlessly. But the cost to Felicia is painful to watch and she pays over and over again for the ego of the man she loves. Mulligan, not only is proof that older styling can age any woman but slips perfectly into a silver screen-aged actor with the perfect tone and styling. Her depiction of Montealegre really holds the movie up and the story is more about her than the man she married. While Mulligan may be considered a supporting actress in this role, she really is the lead that ties the whole story together.
The movie may be about Leonard Bernstein, but the story is really much more than that. An ongoing struggle to be your true self, the cost of fame, and the cost paid by those you love. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time.
Maestro will have a limited theatrical release starting December 8th and will be available to stream on Netflix on December 20th.
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About Maestro:
Maestro is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. A love letter to life and art, Maestro at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.