The life of Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) from his breakthrough in 1943 through to the late 1980’s. Aside from Bernstein’s musical career and homosexual love affairs the film’s main focus is on his relationship and deep love for his wife Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). 

Maestro is the type of film that pushes the many buttons that make me love film. It has a technical audacity that is used to evoke emotion and delineate time whilst its story is one of a love that seems to be able to transcend all that befalls it. It is able to make life feel mythic and that always gives me a sense of awe when watching. 

The film opens with a quote from Bernstein, “A work of art does not answer questions, it provokes them; and its essential meaning is in the tension between the contradictory answers.” And it is bookended by an interview with him in his 70’s where he is reminiscing about Felicia. Whilst the film itself is split into two halves. A crisp black and white 1.33:1 aspect ratio covers Bernstein’s rise in fame and courtship with Felicia which turns into a 1.85:1 colour image as they settle down. This settling down is also shown in the way the film is shot. The opening half in black and white is audacious in its camera moves and tricks. One such moment is the opening when Bernstein receives the call that says he must conduct at Carnegie Hall as the main conductor is ill. A dark room becomes drenched in sunlight before Bernstein walks out of the room straight into the theatre. Whilst the second half is calmer it still contains memorable scenes such as Bernstein conducting Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony at Ely Cathedral in England or his argument with Felicia in his New York Apartment as a giant Snoopy balloon goes past in the parade outside. 

But all this technical audacity would be nothing without the relationship between Lenny and Felicia and thanks to the phenomenal chemistry and acting between Mulligan and Cooper this is just as special. Using some wonderful symmetry to show their deep connection we see the two sitting on the grass back to back trying to guess a number the other is thinking. Once in black and white when courting and again in colour in their twilight years. It’s a simple but powerful way to show their enduring relationship. And it is really important to underline just how brilliant Cooper and Mulligan are. Across forty years they are able to show the ups and downs of the relationship and have the chemistry to show why they were able to endure. 

If there is one thing the film is perhaps a little unsatisfactory in explaining fully is Bernstein’s bisexuality and Felicia’s unsaid agreement that as long as he was discreet he could continue to fuel his needs. But then I keep thinking back to the quote at the beginning of the film and the fact that those things are perhaps something only Bernstein and Felicia can ever know. 

Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut A Star is Born showed him to be a fantastic talent. Co-writing, directing and starring in a musical where he was able to show a deep connection with his co-star. He has managed to do the same again here and shown just how phenomenal a talent he is. But in both of his films he is not the star. That honour goes to the female leads who are the heart of the story.