Maestro is (Mostly) MAGNIFICENT | No Spoiler Review! 

This has to be Bradley’s year to win. With Oppenheimer Cillian Murphy his performance is there but the true star of the film is the film itself and Murphy doesn’t stand out enough. With Maestro Bradley and Carey take charge and it’s their performances that stand out.

A lot of the filmmaking was really good but I felt it fell into the trap of most biopics of just zipping through the events and not really commenting on its subject. I felt a lot of it could’ve been excised and it overall didn’t really leave much of an impression. Not to mention a lot of the actual drama felt very standard. Patrick Willems has an excellent video from a few years back where he explains that so many of these music biopics are basically the same movie.

Saw this at NYFF and was very surprised and captivated by the whole production. Carey Mulligan, once again, commands the screen, and truly deserves another Oscar nom for this performance.

I watched this film yesterday and I was sadly disappointed. It looks absolutely beautiful with the cinematography and production design. I felt that the script didn't have a clear sense of direction/was vague, and I didn't learn anything deep about Bernstein's character. While you could tell Cooper was passionate about the film, it is a vehicle for him to win Best Actor and he very well may win (I am still rooting for Cillian Murphy to win). Carey Mulligan as always was wonderful but I feel the weak script did her no favours.

I know the Best Actress competition is tight but i still hope that Carey Mulligan could win an Oscar for this. I'll forever be devastated that she didn't win for Promising Young Woman which she was so close to winning. Or even her first nomination, An Education which had a strong performance in a great movie from her that should've earned her an Academy Award win

Agree completely that there would have been more depth if the relationships with the men he was seriously involved with were more than side notes.

I think the third act works for me. And it seems that everyone has forgotten the meaning of family and how difficult it is to lose someone who is the pillar of that circle. Just days ago I lost a member of my family and I felt completely identified when everyone ends up hugging before what happens to Felicia. Protecting each other despite the mistakes that have been made over a lifetime. That is true love. And Leonard's decline at the end says it all. I love the performances, I wish to see more love for this film, because is so personal to many people with dysfunctional families.

Although it's great to hear that the movie has been getting acclaim from most people, i still don't think this movie will win any Oscars for Bradley Cooper alone after 9 nominations due to the tight competition. Poor guy, he just can't catch a break with the Oscars 😂😂

Saw it at the LFF back in October - having the oomph of the speakers during the conducting scenes really added a lot to it! Overall, I do think it is more an exercise in style above all else (the emotional side of it didn't really come through to me), the style of it was really exciting and bold, so overall, I liked it!

Brian you seem to have so much enthusiasm and joy for life I love it ❤️ keep it up

As soon i saw Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg's name in the credits as the lead producers, i knew this movie is going to be magnificent. You know a movie is going to be good when Scorsese and Spielberg produced it together 😎

I hope Carey mulligan won best actress for this movie....I am so upset when she missed to win best actress in promising young women before.....this year is so tight for best actress and she need to beat lily Gladstone and Emma stone but anything can be happen.

I highly appreciate your channel, which I only discovered a couple of days ago. The way you Review movies is refreshingly down to earth and not over the top like a lot of other movie channels are. Keep up the good work :)

The acting and the movie were wonderful. There were times when Cooper looked some much like Bernstein that I almost forgot it wasn't actual footage. I saw it in the big scree. The 3rd act was fine. And told me all I wanted to know about his relationships.

Bernstein's historical importance is not his marriage or sex life. I wish there was more about his music making. I dont care about his private life very much. Now it will be difficult to enjoy his music making without thinking how he treated his wife.

Thanks, Brian, once again. I will be seeing the movie in the theatre; I don't get Netflix. As always, keep up the excellent work. Your reviews are detailed, always respectful and totally professional. Your demeanor and professionalism are miles above the other more "casual" reviewers on RU-vid. You, in the great traditional of Roger Ebert, are a class act!

I absolutely LOVED it. The first half hour was a masterpiece. It felt structured like a musical, and some of those transitions alongside with that cinematography? Oh my god, it was incredible.

It’s the kind of film made in order to get nominated at the Academy Awards. If Bradley Cooper wins, it’ll be like Al Pacino winning. He should have an Oscar, but when he finally wins, it’s for the wrong film.

I honestly can't wait to see this movie. I have been a Bradley Cooper fan since forever, I really think he is a great actor and director. I think Cooper did an amazing job in "A Star is born" he could have easily win the Oscar for best actor, and I think by seeing the trailer of "Maestro" he is a big contender for winning this next season of the Oscars for best actor; it has all the elements the voters of the Academy Awards like, and like I said I still have to watch the movie; but personally I thought Cillian Murphy did a superb job in "Oppenheimer" his acting abilities were on top and to me that was a performance that will last for many many years in people's minds. So I don't who will win in that category but If any of these two actors win it would be great because they both deserve it.

Don't understand why Cooper believed it necessary to wear a prosthesis when he already has a prominent nose. Perhaps its because others have won an Oscar for roles in which they wore a fake nose--Di Niro, Kidman.

I saw this yesterday-shattering! The choice of repertoire was flawless! I was privileged to see him conduct at Tanglewood several times.

Biopic (check), controversial historical figure (check), LGBTQ+ toned down or almost erased for mass audience (check), prior nominated actors/directors (check), Hollywood heavyweights producers (check), easy scandal/controversy (check), black and white for artsy look (check). Formulaic is the word. Where have all the great films gone?

It's definitely on my list. Cooper will likely reap more nominations...but can he prevail?

I'm praying that bradley will win the oscar for best actor

Great review, which provides a fair and balanced assessment. I’m 64 and so followed Lenny’s career in almost real time. Knowing a character so well from real life provokes potential criticism when things don’t ring true. Nothing of the sort occurred in Maestro. From my perspective, the film is a masterpiece. Mahler’s 2nd is right at home in this extraordinary film. Bravo Maestro!

All I see when I look at the poster and trailer was Bradley cooper, felt the same when I watched the film. His movie star was such a distraction from the great story. Perhaps they could’ve cast someone different or done more work to disappear into the role.

YES!! Bradley WILL win!! And, finally!! The question roaming around is, Was this Oscar bait? Who cares!! He was Bernstein in every way. The family approves. And thank you for not going on and on about the nose job!!

Patiently waiting for your review of American Fiction. 😊

I found the movie to be a chore to watch. It's seemed so transparent the motivation for the movie was getting best actor nominations for Cooper & Mulligan. The movie itself is forgettable.

Maestro is really a good movie. Unfortunately, it’s sad that it’s a kind of movie that average movie goers wouldn’t watch. I don’t mean like movie buffs, I mean those who don’t watch movies from time to time. The reasons: People would say it’s an Oscar bait movie, most don’t know who Leonard Bernstein is and the competition against other movies like Godzilla and Beyoncé.

Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan are brilliant in this, Carey's final moments on screen had me in tears. However, the movie's weak point for me is the screenplay, and mostly how it doesn't seem to know what to do with any of the supporting cast. Most of the characters outside the two leads (and perhaps Maya Hawke's) don't feel fleshed out. As a result, I felt like it became more a character study of Bernstein and Felicia than a story. While the movie is deserving of many Oscar nominations (Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Hair & Makeup), Best Original Screenplay is one I wouldn't personally agree with.

Cillian Murphy Sweep

Terrible boring movie and an embarrassing vanity project for Cooper. Acting was forced, unnatural and unengaging. The whole time you're watching you are fully aware you are watching actors acting in a movie. Not for a second was it absorbing. No one came to see this movie in the theaters and I doubt very many will watch it to the end on Netflix.

I adored the movie. The direction, the Cinematography, and those performances from Bradley Cooper & Carey Mulligan were magnificent. Cooper gave a fully realized and lived in performance. He wasn't playing a character, he became the person. His career best performance for me, and that's saying a lot considering how incredible he was in A Star Is Born, American Hustle, and Silver Linings Playbook. If he won, this would be a case of a deserved Oscar and a career Oscar being simultaneously true. I don't see him getting in Director since the field is way too competitive but Picture and Original Screenplay should be doable. That orchestra scene alone was one of the greatest things I've seen and felt in the cinema and I've seen it twice! Carey Mulligan gives one of her strongest performances with many great scenes, particularly that big confrontation scene she has which was fired! They have great chemistry in the film and are on fine form throughout the entirety of the film. I do agree that Leonard's same sex relationships could have been better explored in the movie but ultimately the story was about Leonard & Felicia at the end of the day. Can't wait to see this film for a third time on Netflix! Thanks Brian, and I hope your next review is about American Fiction! ❤

Cried through this….so so realistic!

I loved it so much. I was dubious; I thought it would be a boring biopic. I was totally wrong. Right now I have Carey Mulligan and Annette Bening tied for Best Actress. Carey totally embodied that character at every stage of her life the film depicted. I've never seen Carey this strong. Truly brilliant.

Loved the movie and I learned so much about Bernstein. Loved loved loved the last conducting scene . It took my breath away.

I enjoyed it but the ending dragged for me. I love Carey Mulligan and she is the heart of the movie.

Murphy is a first time nominee. Cooper is a 8 time nominee Giamatti is a 1 time nominee

Randy little so n so Lenny!! How did he find time in his high octane musical career for his lovers? Not sure if he saw other women likewise?! With his good looks n talent what's not to like ❤❤❤ Felicia must have had competition in their relationship. But still, loved his musicals anyway ❤❤❤😅😅😅

I’d been looking greatly forward to this, finally saw it last night before it was yanked out of the nearby theater. Needed more music, more Matt Bomer, less of the kids (sorry!)

It is the worst thing to say that this is not an award contender for Bradley Cooper, and frankly, he did a better job with A Star is Born. Maestro, in my opinion, strongly reflects the 90s style of Oscar movies, just like Napoleon and Killers of the Flower Moon. However, given the current climate and the movies released this awards season, there is a much better selection of films. Like the other films I mentioned that are distributed by a streaming service, they probably made the right decision by putting this film on Netflix. When weighing up what has already been released thus far for the awards season, this is not Bradley Cooper's moment, and honestly, this film could fall short this awards season. In many ways, Bradley should have won the Oscar for A Star is Born, and sadly, I think his window may have passed.

This was terrible. Why does Hollywood celebrate such jerks as Bernstein? Bad choice by Cooper. I get Bernstein accomplished great things career wise, but addiction and affairs made him a not so great guy personally. I also think Mulligans' character and Bernsteins' real life wife was very weak willed to stay with him. I hope neither wins the Oscar. I would rather have seen Mulligan win for Promising Young Woman, not this poor role.

Question: Have you seen The Boy and the Heron?

I THOUGHT THE LONGSHOT SCENE WAS BADLY SHOT & UNEMOTIONAL BC OF HOW FAR AWAY IT WAS

Well, that didn’t aged well though. 🤣

Just watched it and felt very meh about it. Mulligan is good. But I don't care how much Cooper sounded like Bernstein, his voice was nearly torture to listen to. I actually skipped some scenes because I couldn't take it. Overall it felt pretty much like Oscar bait. It was fine, but largely forgettable (save a couple of scenes), and I likely won't watch it again. I'm pretty sure that Cooper is winning though, which is a shame because Murphy delivers a much better performance. And I imagine after I see American Fiction or The Holdovers I'll feel the same way about those male leads. (That they deserve it over Cooper)

I really didn’t care for the first 3rd lol The first 3rd I just wanted to say, ‘Bradley settle down mate’. When it did settle I thought it was fantastic, it’s a 4/5 for me.

This film as good or bad it is is totally going to be forgotten after awards season is over.

Love the shirt!

Cooper hasn't been nominated 9 times in the acting Oscar categories. He's been nominated 3 times. The other nominations were for producing and writing.

After Tar which I loved do I really have it in me to watch another conductor movie?

I didn't not care for this one. Too much smoking and just like when I see a film where the F bomb is always dropped, I found it annoying. There were so many movies I liked better.

I'll just say it... Netflix. He can say goodbye to win picture, actor and actress... History says so with those categories

It's better than most 2023 films but it's just OK.

Is there any graphic gay sex? Matt bomer is on fire this year. Fellow travelers, maestro. Both projects are VERY gay and im so happy

Can't wait

Such a disjointed film and clunky. Visually it’s beautiful and Carey Mulligans performance stunning. Bone to pick. There's other gay actors to play gay characters other than; Matt Bomer, Michael Urie, Johnathan Groff, Billy Porter, Neal Patrick Harris, Russel Tovey, Andrew Rannells, Zachary Quinto, Robin de Jesus, and Murray Bartlett.

Bernstein was doing a dramatic acting routine, jumping up and down like a clown. He was not doing his job as a conductor, which is to show the audience what the symphony sounds like. I posted a video on my RU-vid channel showing how he took a wrecking ball to Beethoven's symphonies manipulating the sound to make whole sections sound noisy and terrible. The press treated him like a sacred cow. Everything he touched turned to gold, even though his conducting included vandalism.

So Cooper over Murphy?

The unqueering of our queer heroes continues.

It's this Century's "Citizen Kane"

A little boring and not inspiring at all

I respect most of your movie takes but I really don't agree with this one. The film was nothing but Oscar bait and not in an enjoyable way.

دMaestro🤔🙄 Poor story They dont make biobic film about the musian. They make (love story). Film makers they have no idea about the man story at all..they makr him shallow. Not genuas musian. If they remove maetro side and play sceance...the film be bad romance. Will be film about normal man love women. Same prisilla. Love marge bregnant. Where the pipic?what the case?empty screenplay. They make poor romance story But with meastro band and beatfull sence. The acting and the dirction good. But the film foucs in the shape more the supject and the story. Good acting but bad role. Bradly cooper make up when he get old sooo real👍 In the end they talk about past of love 🤔 Bradly and carry moligan Hca Nomnation Brian Golden globe After day Shoot your reaction😂 Cbs live stream And show us and tell us your opnion about nomnation. Thank you for reviow

Najbolji film najbolja maska najbolja muska uloga najbolja zenska uloga muzika sve naj naj naj i OSKAR ZA SVE ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊😊🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

Next up a biopic of gay Cole Porter with half the narrative spent on his fake wife Linda. Then there's the new Cary Grant mini that all about his fake wife Dyan Cannon.

I'll stick with the MAESTRO on SEINFELD. Cooper can send his big fake nose back to Kidman.

Matt Bomer loves playing gay characters it seems. Is he gay in real life? I’m guessing so