Maestro (2023) Dir: Bradley Cooper

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Bradley Cooper's great attempt at Academy glory came in the form of this 2023 biopic, which depicted the life of the legendary American composer; Leonard Bernstein. It was nominated for seven awards, but failed to win in a single one of its categories. It was the last of the 2023 Best Picture nominees for me to watch, and had been the one I was least motivated to watch by some distance.

The soundtrack was, unsurprisingly, majestic and beautiful, as one could expect from the reputation of Bernstein's music. His music accompanied the film's pleasant cinematography quite appropriately. Everything looked and felt rather pretty, though not breathtakingly so, I must emphasise. The use of film and the evolution of the colours were pleasant to look at, and a neat little idea to show the passing of time.

However, this is the point at which my issues arise. As pretty as the film looked and sounded, it was unendingly, unbearably dull. There was an idea there, I could see that, but it was not at all well executed. The film tried so hard to capture the magic of old Hollywood, as well as Bernstein's music, but it felt utterly soulless and, quite frankly, boring. The film trudged along at a snail's pace, and seemed content to do so, seemingly unaware of how draining it was.

The acting was undeniably phenomenal, at points, but the film dragged itself out at such an arduous pace that it sapped all the life out of the film and its actors. I was pleading for it to end. Bradley Cooper acted very consistently and very well, but was totally outclassed by the ethereal and magnificent Carey Mulligan, whose performance was absolutely immense. If any aspect of the film deserved its Oscar nomination, it was hers. Maya Hawke also made a comparatively very brief appearance, and was very good, but no one came close to Mulligan for class or quality.

Overall, whilst it may seem harsh to some, the term 'Oscar bait' feels entirely, and deservedly, synonymous with this pondering, meandering, Netflix original. It's a two hour film that feels like three or even more. There is no doubting the abilities of the real life composer, but my goodness, the film of his life was so incredibly boring and slow. Thank goodness for the superb talent that is Carey Mulligan.