Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan give transcendent performances in Maestro

The closing night film of the 2023 AFI Film Festival was Netflix’s Maestro. The film is Bradley Cooper’s directorial follow-up after the critically acclaimed A Star is Born. Does Cooper find the magic behind the camera again? Below I share my thoughts on the film and let you know if it’s worth checking out.

Maestro follows the love story of composer Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. Academy Award-nominee Bradley Cooper co-wrote, directed, and stars as Leonard, with Academy Award-nominated actress Carey Mulligan playing Felicia.

I’ll be honest, writing this review for Maestro has been one of the hardest reviews I’ve had to write in a long time. It has NOTHING to do with it being not good but more so with trying to formulate the words together to praise the incredible work of Cooper and his entire team.

Maestro isn’t your typical biopic, which is a good thing, but it’s more of a love story than I imagined. From the moment we see Leonard (Cooper) lock eyes with Felicia (Mulligan), this film never looks back. Their relationship is complicated, often not making sense of why they were together, but there are moments you see them yearn for one another in a way that touches the deepest part of your heart.

Carey Mulligan delivers a career-best performance

Every ounce of this film is carried on the two performances of Cooper and Mulligan. From Promising Young Woman to She Said and now with Maestro, Mulligan shows that she is genuinely one of the best working actresses of our time. While Cooper is brilliant and award-worthy as Leonard, he is nothing without Mulligan as Felicia. This was a career-best performance from both of these actors.

Another impressive thing about the film is watching Bradley Cooper’s growth behind the director’s chair. He shocked the world with his incredible work on the 2019 A Star is Born, but what we see in Maestro shows this true auteur. His vision for Leonard’s life shows his passion for the composer. It’s showy, vibrant, and filled with so much love. There is one scene where Leonard performs in front of an audience that is hands down one of the best scenes of 2023.

Overall, Maestro is one of the most beautiful love stories ever told in film. A passion project from Cooper turned into an awards-worthy film from top to bottom. If you are lucky enough to capture this on the big screen, please do because it is worth it. If not, add this to the top of your watch list this holiday season.

Maestro is scheduled to hit select theaters in November and streams on Netflix starting December 20.