This love story chronicles the lifelong relationship of conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.

Leonard Bernstein is one of America’s most well known conductors and composers, with his influence felt in movies, on Broadway and in orchestras around the globe. ‘Maestro’, directed by Bradley Cooper who also stars as Bernstein, is a traditional biopic in many respects in that it attempts to get into the mind of Bernstein to understand what drove him and made him tick. It is a handsome production with very strong acting performances across the board, and yet I came away from it feeling a little unfulfilled.

It tells the story of Bernstein’s life from his first opportunities in the 1940s to conduct the New York Philharmonic, through to his latter years when he struggles with illness. His life is that of a man with an intense passion for his craft, to the detriment of his complicated personal life and his relationship with his wife Felicia (Carey Mulligan, who is superb). Much of the narrative centres on the contradictions in Bernstein’s life – he has a mostly loving relationship with his wife, yet he continues to have homosexual affairs throughout his life. This is compounded by alcohol and substance abuse that takes a toll on his marriage, even as his career and art are not diminished by it. Most of us will be familiar with Bernstein’s works in theatre and on movies, or sometimes both as in the case of ‘West Side Story’, which is touched on here. Where ‘Maestro’ does excel is in showing how one man can almost blindside his own relationship in the search of his art, how he can be so talented in his profession, yet ignorant to the implications on the most important relationship in his life.

The performances are superb from both Cooper and Mulligan, and I felt the craftsmanship on display from Cooper shows a director who is very much in command of his craft, and yet, something never truly grabbed me about ‘Maestro’. There are some breathtaking sequences of Bernstein conducting and embracing his art, which contrasts well with his almost understated approach to family life. Perhaps it is my limited interest in Bernstein himself, or perhaps it is a general malaise with biopics, but for all there is much to admire with ‘Maestro’ and it is difficult to find fault with it technically, I didn’t love it as much as many others have done.

Rating: 3/5

Directed By: Bradley Cooper

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Carey Mulligan, Matt Bomer, Vincenzo Amato, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman, Michael Urie, Brian Klugman and Josh Hamilton

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5535276/