Maestro

“Maestro” is pretty good. At least that appears to be the overall verdict from critics and audiences (80% and 85% positive ratings, respectively, on Rotten Tomatoes). In my sphere, the classical music community reaction has been a collective sigh of relief.The Leonard Bernstein biopic is not mean-spirited as “Tár,” about a fictional conductor and Bernstein prodigy. Besides being a great conductor, composer, pianist and educator, Bernstein wrote a winning bestseller, “Joy of Music,” and thankfully “Maestro” is not…

Film: MaestroCast: Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Gideon Glick, Maya Hawke, Sarah SilvermanDirector: Bradley CooperWriter: Bradley Cooper & Josh SingerRating: 4/5Runtime: 128 mins Bradley Cooper’s second directorial effort, ‘Maestro,’ post his stunning awards garnering debut directorial ‘A Star is Born’ has all the makings of a classic. This biopic is also a love story that chronicles conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein’s life and relationships - especially the…

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse LoughreyGet our The Life Cinematic email for freeBradley Cooper was “forced to leave” a press conference for his film Maestro due to his young daughter’s medical emergency.The 48-year-old actor-director, who shares joint custody of his daughter Lea with ex-girlfriend Irina Shayk, reportedly received a message from the school and rushed off stage on Thursday (21 December).Glancing at his phone midway through the conference, Cooper…

Hollywood star Bradley Cooper scurried out of a press conference for his film `Maestro` to talk to a school nurse about his six-year-old daughter Lea.The `A Star is Born` actor, who has joint custody of the youngster with his ex-girlfriend Irina Shayk, was 20 minutes into a promotional event for his Netflix film when he said he had to step out. The 48-year-old actor, who plays composer Leonard Bernstein in the movie, said: "So sorry. The school nurse just called me. Can I just leave the room for a second to call them…

Think what you will of Bradley Cooper, but you can’t deny his talent. The man has appeared in a massive range of roles, but his incoming Netflix release is a far cry from his days in Failure to Launch or even Guardians of the Galaxy. Early reactions hint toward the award-winning potential of Maestro, Cooper’s latest project, which he wrote, directed, and stars in. The film is already being discussed as an Oscar contender several times over and Cooper is a huge part of that. Even past the backlash, the film is soaring…

Does it feel strange still to be talking about Tár?Cate Blanchett: Some things don’t ever leave you. This has been fascinating from the moment of inception, through making and releasing it and now watching people’s reaction to the film deepen and evolve. It’s very rewarding.Todd Field: Yesterday, a woman came up and talked to me about the movie for maybe 25 minutes. She had seen it nine times.CB: We all have our rapid-fire set of judgments when things first come out. I think people were quick to define what the film was,…

Who was Leonard Bernstein? The first great American conductor, composer and pianist, best known for his work on West Side Story. He was also a devoted husband to Felicia Montealegre, the Chilean-Costa Rican actor and social activist famous for her performances in televised dramas to roles on and off Broadway. There's only one of these sides which the new Netflix release Maestro centers on- playfully and often restlessly yearning to arrive at the truth of a prodigiously talented man at the centre. (Also read: Leave the…

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse LoughreyGet our The Life Cinematic email for freeBradley Cooper enjoyed a monster critical and commercial hit with 2018’s A Star is Born, which he directed and starred in, playing an alcoholic country and western crooner, opposite Lady Gaga. How on earth, observers wondered, was he going to trump that success? Five years on, Cooper is directing and playing the lead in another fine music-based project, albeit one very different in…

Bradley Cooper has received some backlash after revealing that he didn’t provide seats to his employees when he worked as a film director.The 48-year-old actor has been promoting the second movie that he both directed and starred in, Maestro. He had initially received critical acclaim after making his directorial debut with A Star Is Born, in 2018.Speaking to Spike Lee for Variety’s Directors on Directors series, Bradley explained that he doesn’t have any chairs on set because he believes they cause “energy…

Every director has his own style of working while on set. They follow certain kinds of rules so that their work process will not be disturbed by any uncertainties, excluding technical problems. And there are many such directors; one recognized name in Hollywood is Christopher Nolan. This “Oppenheimer” director, Christopher Nolan, never sits on the set while working. Also, he has made rules like no smoking at all on set and minimal use of cellphones (only if it is necessary to use). There is one more Hollywood director…