BRADLEY COOPER | USA | 2023 | 129 MIN | ENGLISH 

In the follow-up to his acclaimed directorial debut A Star Is Born, Bradley Cooper turns his focus to one of the last century’s greatest real-life musical celebrities: legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein. Epic in scope yet intimate in its dissection of a tumultuous, decades-spanning relationship, Maestro is a dual portrait of Bernstein (played by Cooper) and his wife, Felicia (Carey Mulligan). When Leonard and Felicia meet at a party, the scrappy, hotshot prodigy and private-school-educated actress share an instant, palpable connection. With sensitivity and wit, Cooper tracks the evolution of their relationship through the decades, as Leonard’s skyrocketing fame brings both professional triumph and personal hardships. Cooper brings vivacious energy to the role of Bernstein, a man of prodigious talents and many contradictions. And Mulligan is equally impressive as Felicia, imbuing this lesser-known figure with a fully rounded complexity and grace. Luminously recreating the couple’s milieu yet frank in its depiction of marital discord and personal sacrifice, Maestro is a gorgeous tribute to both Bernstein’s sterling artistic gifts and complicated humanity.

Cast: Carey Mulligan, Bradley Cooper, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke