Layla Brooks

Bradley Cooper’s Maestro illustrates what happens when an actor/producer desperately tries to win an Academy Award by groveling to new Hollywood’s idolization of promoting progressive values rather than stimulating, entertaining, and educational artistry. This could have been a much better movie if it taught us more about Leonard Bernstein’s creativity or accomplishments, rather than focusing on his sexual ambiguity and burying much of the dialogue under an incomprehensible accent much thicker than Bernstein’s own. Even Carey Mulligan’s talented performance is not enough to save this movie. Cooper is, and Bernstein was, much better than shown here. If you have not yet seen Maestro, don’t bother.