Bradley Cooper’s long-in-the-making directorial follow-up to “A Star Is Born” comes out in select Bay Area theaters this week before it streams Dec. 20 on Netflix.
We check the buzzy biopic out along with John Woo’s killer “Silent Night” and a heartbreaking look at musician Jon Batiste. We also unveil a new feature singling out a film, new or old, that might have escaped your attention but is worth seeking out.
Here’s our roundup.
“Maestro”: The versatile, committed Bradley Cooper steps back up to the director’s podium and also writes, stars in and produces (whew!) this nonconformist biopic on legendary composer Leonard Bernstein and the love of his life Felicia. It’s an ambitious affair that showcases its frequent brilliance with brio and confidence as Cooper dabbles in various cinematic styles and approaches. That tinkering results in a polished, even adventurous, feature that unfortunately feels emotionally detached due to its attention-seeking cinematic flourishes.
Make no mistake, though, there are moments — or movements, since the film does resemble parts of a symphony — that are deserving of standing ovations. There’s a B&W sonata-like start, a fun and energetic sequence that cycles us through the courtship of Bernstein (Cooper) and actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan); there’s an expository sequence where a Thanksgiving parade gets viewed from a lofty perch of an upstairs window in a room where Lenny and Felicia are feuding (unforgettable, even if the technique distracts from the argument at hand); and most of all, the soul-stirring scene in which Bernstein conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection,” at Ely Cathedral in England; it’s a sweaty showstopper. All these segments are intricately crafted, and worth admiring, but they often feel somewhat intrusive, thrusting us out of the crux of this unorthodox romance — the beating heart of “Maestro” — and all but inviting us be in awe at the achievement of the filmmaking itself. And therein lies the problem. Here’s a technically polished production that’s full of inventive filmmaking but ultimately fails to swell with the passion that its creator was clearly looking for.
That said, there is obvious passion in the acting. Cooper throws himself into the role of Bernstein and delivers one of his finest performances, playing a complicated family man who desired men and couldn’t deny that desire even while loving his wife. Cooper’s go-for-broke moment comes in a six-minute sequence of Bernstein famously conducting “Resurrection” (it reportedly took Cooper six years to get ready to do it). Witness it and you’ll have no doubt that Cooper put blood, sweat and tears into this performance, and the film itself. The nimble Mulligan also handles her tricky role with dexterity, leaning into small but telling looks to convey the tug of war of emotions that Felicia shoulders.
What turns problematic in “Maestro” is how Bernstein’s gay lovers are shuttled to the sidelines. They played a vital role in his life, obviously, but here they never become flesh-and-blood people; they’re seen as more of a distraction to the love story the film wants to tell. “Maestro” is frustrating like that, a marvel in many instances and one that no doubt swells with inspiration. Too often, though, it all but demands that we be astonished by its showmanship when really we should just be experiencing it — and surrendering to the story as we would a beautifully crafted piece of music. Details: 2½ stars; in theaters Dec. 1; streams Dec. 20 on Netflix.
“Silent Night”: Vengeance comes wearing an ugly Christmas sweater in John Woo’s violent, high-octane return to form where there is literally is not a second of lag time. Joel Kinnaman delivers aces as Brian Godlock, a dad targeting sicko gang members who killed his young son during a Christmas Eve gunfight that also took away his voice. Virtually wordless, “Silent Night” is a visceral, chew-you-up-and-spit-you-out experience as Kinnaman makes us feel the anguish and the outraged torment of Brian, a man whose anger and grief solidifies into a singular quest for payback. Brian’s runaway train of obsession prompts his concerned wife (Catalina Sandino Moreno) to leave him and a detective (Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi) to start catching wind of him. True to Woo’s form, the action scenes are expertly choreographed and feature some of the director’s signatures (birds and shootouts). “Silent Night” puts you in a chokehold from the start and never relaxes its grip. Details: 3 stars; in theaters Dec. 1.
“American Symphony”: In the opening moments of Matthew Heineman’s simply beautiful documentary it appears we’re heading into well-trod terrain, an exploration of a hailed musical artist as he prepares for a big performance. But that’s just part of the story Heineman has to tell about Grammy- and Oscar-winning artist Jon Batiste. While the singer-songwriter’s career skyrockets and he prepares to unveil an original symphony at Carnegie Hall, the love of his life and the person who grounds him — writer Suleika Jaouad — learns that her leukemia has come back. The dichotomy creates a surreal reality for both as Batiste struggles at points to get out of bed to resume his busy schedule. Both Batiste and Jaouad put their faith and trust in Heineman, and the result is a candid testament to an unconditional love that’s threatened by cancer but defined by one remarkable couple’s commitment to get through it together. Details: 3½ stars; drops Nov. 29 on Netflix.
Find of the week — “Ghosts of the Void”: In this season of giving, here is an indie horror drama that powerfully expresses the economic vulnerability facing many couples grappling with their own demons — both real and perceived. Given its limited budget, Jason Miller’s debut is a startling accomplishment. Its premise is simple: Hounded by debt collectors and other issues, an unhoused couple (Tedra Millan and Michael Reagan) camp out for a hellish night in a car at a park. As the night thickens, the terrors around them heighten and take supernatural form. Not overly violent, this is a horror film that reflects our times and how some people in this world have to live. Details: 3 stars, now available On Demand.
“Slow Horses Season 3”: Our favorite band of MI5 screwups — butt of cruel jokes within the British intelligence service who work at Slough House (dubbed Slow Horses) — runs smack into a dangerous plot to expose intelligence and also stumble into the crosshairs of a chess-like power tussle going on between HQ higher ups. Gary Oldman is priceless yet again as the slovenly and rude Jackson Lamb, a brilliant HR nightmare in charge of these problem-plagued, problematic agents that include over-eager River Cartwight (Jack Lowden), a grieving – you’ll need to watch season 2 to know why – Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar) and lecherous hacker Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung, given more to do this season), and more. As is the norm, Season 3 opens with a shock, this time it’s an agent’s suspicious, untimely plunge to her death in Turkey and then follows it up with another one – Slough House admin Catherine Standish (Sasika Reeves) getting kidnapped. That’s only the tip of the tangled intrigue that ensues in this intense adaptation of novelist Mick Herron’s “Real Tigers” (the third in his series), which also gives Kristin Scott Thomas as the very ambitious MI5 director Diana Taverner some juicy scenes with Sophie Okonedo as Ingrid Tearney, director-general of MI5. You’ll gobble down all six episodes and crave even more. You’re in luck with that, Season 4 is on its way – no air date yet. Details: 3½ stars; two episodes available now with one episode dropped each Wednesday through Dec. 27.
“The Disappearance of Shere Hite”: Oscar-nominated documentarian Nicole Newnham (co-director of “Crip Camp”) might net another nom for this deep dive into why America has virtually forgotten Hite’s groundbreaking contributions – surveying ‘70s and early ‘80s sexual lives and satisfactions. As a person, Hite defied being pigeonholed, and that quality comes through in this thoroughly researched portrait of a renegade, sometimes prickly scientist who was judged more harshly due to her sex. Newnham’s seamless documentary leans heavily on diary entries — read by Dakota Johnson — archival videos and interviews to bring a complex person to multi-dimensional life. Details: 3½ stars; in theaters Dec. 1.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.
Bradley Cooper’s long-in-the-making directorial follow-up to “A Star Is Born” comes out in select Bay Area theaters this week before it streams Dec. 20 on Netflix.
We check the buzzy biopic out along with John Woo’s killer “Silent Night” and a heartbreaking look at musician Jon Batiste. We also unveil a new feature singling out a film, new or old, that might have escaped your attention but is worth seeking out.
Here’s our roundup.
“Maestro”: The versatile, committed Bradley Cooper steps back up to the director’s podium and also writes, stars in and produces (whew!) this nonconformist biopic on legendary composer Leonard Bernstein and the love of his life Felicia. It’s an ambitious affair that showcases its frequent brilliance with brio and confidence as Cooper dabbles in various cinematic styles and approaches. That tinkering results in a polished, even adventurous, feature that unfortunately feels emotionally detached due to its attention-seeking cinematic flourishes.
Make no mistake, though, there are moments — or movements, since the film does resemble parts of a symphony — that are deserving of standing ovations. There’s a B&W sonata-like start, a fun and energetic sequence that cycles us through the courtship of Bernstein (Cooper) and actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan); there’s an expository sequence where a Thanksgiving parade gets viewed from a lofty perch of an upstairs window in a room where Lenny and Felicia are feuding (unforgettable, even if the technique distracts from the argument at hand); and most of all, the soul-stirring scene in which Bernstein conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection,” at Ely Cathedral in England; it’s a sweaty showstopper. All these segments are intricately crafted, and worth admiring, but they often feel somewhat intrusive, thrusting us out of the crux of this unorthodox romance — the beating heart of “Maestro” — and all but inviting us be in awe at the achievement of the filmmaking itself. And therein lies the problem. Here’s a technically polished production that’s full of inventive filmmaking but ultimately fails to swell with the passion that its creator was clearly looking for.
That said, there is obvious passion in the acting. Cooper throws himself into the role of Bernstein and delivers one of his finest performances, playing a complicated family man who desired men and couldn’t deny that desire even while loving his wife. Cooper’s go-for-broke moment comes in a six-minute sequence of Bernstein famously conducting “Resurrection” (it reportedly took Cooper six years to get ready to do it). Witness it and you’ll have no doubt that Cooper put blood, sweat and tears into this performance, and the film itself. The nimble Mulligan also handles her tricky role with dexterity, leaning into small but telling looks to convey the tug of war of emotions that Felicia shoulders.
What turns problematic in “Maestro” is how Bernstein’s gay lovers are shuttled to the sidelines. They played a vital role in his life, obviously, but here they never become flesh-and-blood people; they’re seen as more of a distraction to the love story the film wants to tell. “Maestro” is frustrating like that, a marvel in many instances and one that no doubt swells with inspiration. Too often, though, it all but demands that we be astonished by its showmanship when really we should just be experiencing it — and surrendering to the story as we would a beautifully crafted piece of music. Details: 2½ stars; in theaters Dec. 1; streams Dec. 20 on Netflix.
“Silent Night”: Vengeance comes wearing an ugly Christmas sweater in John Woo’s violent, high-octane return to form where there is literally is not a second of lag time. Joel Kinnaman delivers aces as Brian Godlock, a dad targeting sicko gang members who killed his young son during a Christmas Eve gunfight that also took away his voice. Virtually wordless, “Silent Night” is a visceral, chew-you-up-and-spit-you-out experience as Kinnaman makes us feel the anguish and the outraged torment of Brian, a man whose anger and grief solidifies into a singular quest for payback. Brian’s runaway train of obsession prompts his concerned wife (Catalina Sandino Moreno) to leave him and a detective (Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi) to start catching wind of him. True to Woo’s form, the action scenes are expertly choreographed and feature some of the director’s signatures (birds and shootouts). “Silent Night” puts you in a chokehold from the start and never relaxes its grip. Details: 3 stars; in theaters Dec. 1.
“American Symphony”: In the opening moments of Matthew Heineman’s simply beautiful documentary it appears we’re heading into well-trod terrain, an exploration of a hailed musical artist as he prepares for a big performance. But that’s just part of the story Heineman has to tell about Grammy- and Oscar-winning artist Jon Batiste. While the singer-songwriter’s career skyrockets and he prepares to unveil an original symphony at Carnegie Hall, the love of his life and the person who grounds him — writer Suleika Jaouad — learns that her leukemia has come back. The dichotomy creates a surreal reality for both as Batiste struggles at points to get out of bed to resume his busy schedule. Both Batiste and Jaouad put their faith and trust in Heineman, and the result is a candid testament to an unconditional love that’s threatened by cancer but defined by one remarkable couple’s commitment to get through it together. Details: 3½ stars; drops Nov. 29 on Netflix.
Find of the week — “Ghosts of the Void”: In this season of giving, here is an indie horror drama that powerfully expresses the economic vulnerability facing many couples grappling with their own demons — both real and perceived. Given its limited budget, Jason Miller’s debut is a startling accomplishment. Its premise is simple: Hounded by debt collectors and other issues, an unhoused couple (Tedra Millan and Michael Reagan) camp out for a hellish night in a car at a park. As the night thickens, the terrors around them heighten and take supernatural form. Not overly violent, this is a horror film that reflects our times and how some people in this world have to live. Details: 3 stars, now available On Demand.
“Slow Horses Season 3”: Our favorite band of MI5 screwups — butt of cruel jokes within the British intelligence service who work at Slough House (dubbed Slow Horses) — runs smack into a dangerous plot to expose intelligence and also stumble into the crosshairs of a chess-like power tussle going on between HQ higher ups. Gary Oldman is priceless yet again as the slovenly and rude Jackson Lamb, a brilliant HR nightmare in charge of these problem-plagued, problematic agents that include over-eager River Cartwight (Jack Lowden), a grieving – you’ll need to watch season 2 to know why – Louisa Guy (Rosalind Eleazar) and lecherous hacker Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung, given more to do this season), and more. As is the norm, Season 3 opens with a shock, this time it’s an agent’s suspicious, untimely plunge to her death in Turkey and then follows it up with another one – Slough House admin Catherine Standish (Sasika Reeves) getting kidnapped. That’s only the tip of the tangled intrigue that ensues in this intense adaptation of novelist Mick Herron’s “Real Tigers” (the third in his series), which also gives Kristin Scott Thomas as the very ambitious MI5 director Diana Taverner some juicy scenes with Sophie Okonedo as Ingrid Tearney, director-general of MI5. You’ll gobble down all six episodes and crave even more. You’re in luck with that, Season 4 is on its way – no air date yet. Details: 3½ stars; two episodes available now with one episode dropped each Wednesday through Dec. 27.
“The Disappearance of Shere Hite”: Oscar-nominated documentarian Nicole Newnham (co-director of “Crip Camp”) might net another nom for this deep dive into why America has virtually forgotten Hite’s groundbreaking contributions – surveying ‘70s and early ‘80s sexual lives and satisfactions. As a person, Hite defied being pigeonholed, and that quality comes through in this thoroughly researched portrait of a renegade, sometimes prickly scientist who was judged more harshly due to her sex. Newnham’s seamless documentary leans heavily on diary entries — read by Dakota Johnson — archival videos and interviews to bring a complex person to multi-dimensional life. Details: 3½ stars; in theaters Dec. 1.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.