Maestro

 

   Co-written, directed by and starring Bradley Cooper in the title role, this is a wonderful examination of the life and times of Leonard Bernstein, the fabled composer and conductor.

 

   This film is so obviously a work of love for Mr. Cooper. He embodies Mr. Bernstein's life and soul in every scene. You see and feel his honest joy and passion in the various conducting scenes and particularly in one climatic performance piece.

   The heart and soul of the film, however, belongs to Mr. Bernstein's relationship with Felicia Montealegre, his wife and great love. Cary Mulligan plays Felicia in an emotionally strong and yet heartbreaking performance. Their love for each other was great but their marriage was very complicated.

   Co-stars include Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman, Michael Urie, Brian Klugman, Sam Nivola, Miriam Shor, Alexa Swinton, and Josh Hamilton.

   Mr. Cooper has shown growth as a director and handles his material very well. I can't imagine the difficulty of directing yourself, especially when you are in almost every scene. He films in color and black & white as well as plays with the film's aspect ratio but it all comes together beautifully.  He uses Mr. Bernstein's music throughout the film and it is magnificent.

    This is a Netflix production and will debut on the streaming service December 20th. However, if you can, I highly recommend seeing it during it's limited theatrical run. There will be an abundance of Oscar nominations.