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Reviews for Maestro

Ann Hornday, Washington Post:

In this lively, sometimes deliriously scattershot biopic about the conductor Leonard Bernstein, [Bradley] Cooper doesn’t educate the audience by way of a dutiful Wiki-ography as much as tell us what he thinks matters most about Bernstein’s life: in this case, his relationship with his wife, Felicia, the bisexuality he largely hid, his compulsive curiosity about people and the ecstatic bursts of creativity that sustained him.

David Sims, The Atlantic:

Here, as Bernstein, he’s clad in layers of makeup (the controversial nose looks less pronounced in action) that impressively mimic the man’s real face but somehow make him feel harder to reach.

Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone:

Cooper is not only a chameleon, fully embodying Bernstein and his restless genius whilst never striking a false note, but a truly gifted filmmaker.

Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair:

Both Cooper and [Carey] Mulligan go hard on vocal affect, proudly slather on makeup, practically chain smoke their way through the entire film.

Jane Crowther, GamesRadar:

Cooper’s uncanny depiction of Bernstein’s delirious, full-body conducting style is impressive and affecting as he leads Mahler’s Second Symphony and his own Mass.