9. Maestro 5/10

If you are looking for a movie that is as ‘Oscar bait’ as it gets, look no further than “Maestro” directed by Bradley Cooper.  This movie is trying so hard to win an Oscar, it makes sitting through the film embarrassing to watch. I am a fan of Bradley Cooper, as an actor and a filmmaker. His directorial debut, A Star is Born was truly an amazing film filled with spectacular performances. I have huge respect for him as a filmmaker and that’s why it pains me to say this film was a misfire for me. Cooper’s performance as Lenorad Bernstein is played more as a caricature version of Bernstein rather than the actual person he was. Throughout the film, Cooper never immerses himself into who Lenoard Bernstein was as a person or the persona that Berstein was so famous for. This goes to show that  no matter how many prosthetic noses Cooper put on or if he trained for six years to learn how to conduct for the role, his performance comes off as stale and uninspired. Carey Mulligan does give a standout performance, portraying his wife, Felicia Montealegre, giving the character grace, heart and nuance, which this film desperately needs. However, I feel Mulligan has given far stronger performances in her career than this. The story chooses to focus more on the personal life of Bernstein rather than the accomplishments he had throughout his entire career. While I get that might have been a creative choice, it just didn’t work for me. The movie could have a better balancing act of showcasing his personal life while also focusing on the many great accomplishments he had in his career. Overall, Maestro is uninspired and unoriginal, and it’s a shame given how legendary of a life and career Leonord Bernstein had.