Netflix's musical biopic of the powerhouse talent of Leonard Bernstein is a musical and visual treat. Covering several decades of the composer/conductor's adult life, the modern-day bookends are presented in full widescreen, with the early years in black-and-white Academy, effectively evoking the period through filmic technique (apart from a couple of intrusively flashy CGI-enhanced transitions) and the middle years in contrasting vivid colour. The film is all about contradictions, ranging from the tensions in his relationships as a result of his bisexuality to a wonderfully-presented sequence of a bitter bedroom argument with a Thanksgiving Day parade passing by. Bradley Cooper captures the driven creativity of his subject with obvious passion and commitment as director/writer/star (even with the character being presented as indulged rather than accepted), surpassed only by a remarkable sublime performance by Carey Mulligan of real control and nuance as his long-put-upon but devoted wife. Indeed, it is the combination of Bernstein's musical talent and journey (the bravura Mahler performance is a highlight here) and a deep love story across the years that makes Maestro an interesting watch.
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