Maestro: Quick Takes

Maestro is a film full of brilliance, but the question is if the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I have This mental conflict while thinking about Bradley Cooper’s follow-up film. Despite being positioned as a clear Oscar candidate, Maestro skirts the line between outstanding cinema and Oscar bait.

The movie follows a narrative that is similar to Napoleon, with several plot points struggling to make any kind of significant progress. This shortcoming causes periods of diminishing viewer interest, which are then saved by engrossing performances and striking shots. The two leads have outstanding performances, with Carey Mulligan putting on possibly her greatest performance to date. While Mulligan makes a strong case for the best actress performance, Lily Gladstone is still unmatched in her own right.

“Summer sang in me a little while, it sings in me no more. Edna St. Vincent Millay.”,

“If the summer doesn’t sing in you, then nothing sings in you. And if nothing sings in you, then you can’t make music.”

Bradley Cooper’s rendition of Leonard Bernstein stands out in the actor field because it perfectly captures the composer’s voice, cadence, and nuanced demeanor. Nevertheless, the screenplay turns out to be the weakest part, with the film’s most powerful moments oddly occurring during dialogue-free scenes. At moments when the audience is losing interest, the score—Bernstein’s musical genius combined with skillful direction and cinematography—draws them back. Some of the sequences have incredibly clever framing and structuring that reminds me of examples from cinema classes.

Bradley Cooper shows off his directing talent in Maestro by skillfully juggling two different movies in terms of tone and visuals. The first part of the film harks back to the black-and-white era, taking viewers to another era through words and images. The ensuing age reflects a script progression by channeling the cinematic aesthetic of the 1970s. Despite the screenplay’s flaws, Cooper masterfully weaves these eras together, displaying his directorial prowess in a picture that is a monument to his abilities.

Maestro maintains its distinct tune in the symphony of cinematic accomplishments, giving viewers a sophisticated understanding of the creativity involved. However, Maestro’s overall impact is somewhat lacking, akin to a faint note that doesn’t quite hit home, leaving it a forgettable movie.