‘Maestro’ (2023) | Movie on Netflix. Review: A biopic worth watching? It seems like it exists

Maestro - Netflix
Maestro - Netflix

Maestro‘ is a biographical movie about the life of Leonard Bernstein. It is directed by Bradley Cooper, starring Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, and Sarah Silverman.

“Maestro” is a film that will captivate you visually in just two and a half seconds: magnificent, meticulously crafted in every photographic aspect, and a tribute to the classic cinema itself in its framing and visual conception.

“Maestro” takes us back to the filmmaking of the 1940s, reviving the best of those days in terms of aesthetics, not only through the black and white of its first part but also through its thematic and, above all, visual proposition.

A movie that tells the biography of Leonard Bernstein but also possesses strength and, visually, supports and confirms the composer’s musical proposal of West Side Story.

A complex film that, for once, succeeds in being more than just a biopic and can be appreciated beyond the biography it narrates.

A Netflix release that ranks among the best of the streaming platform this year.

Review of “Maestro”

A melodrama? Yes, indeed, but a melodrama worth watching: it has rhythm, a compelling story, and it goes beyond merely portraying the life of the person. It recreates what the United States was like in that period and the reasons behind Bernstein’s success, the cultural complexity of the time, and the significance of his music and captivating personality.

A difficult and intricate film to make, but Bradley Cooper achieves it, like Orson Welles, directing and acting at the same time in a highly complex film visually. It has a quality that we adore: it’s absolutely unpretentious, and we love it.

“Maestro” knows how to play its cards and understands that it is telling a significant cultural story. It approaches it with interest and full awareness that it must be a great film, regardless of whether it becomes pretentious and ostentatious because Bernstein himself was ambitious.

The film skillfully plays with dualities. Shot in black and white and color, it utilizes two narratives, rhythms, and cinematographies, each reflecting a different era.

Our Opinion

Magnificent and ambitious: a film that is worth it and is undoubtedly one of the best releases of this year on Netflix.

Bradley Cooper excels in his dual role, but above all as an exceptional director with a passion for music that he flawlessly conveys in a film that is a tribute to both music and the superbly executed classic cinema of its era.

Substance and style come together in an exceptional biopic.

The Cast

Bradley Cooper
Bradley Cooper
Carey Mulligan
Carey Mulligan
Maya Hawke
Maya Hawke
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman

Sam Nivola
Matt Bomer
Michael Urie
Gideon Glick
Miriam Shor
William Hill
Oscar Pavlo
Claudio Arrau
Mallory Portnoy