#maestro review

[dialogue-queered]

“The American poet Wallace Stevens suggested there were 13 ways of looking at a blackbird but with Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) that barely scrapes the surface. He was conductor, composer, pianist, writer of popular musicals, educator and celebrity. One might devote entire volumes to his identity as a Jew, a homosexual, or a political activist….Like so many creative giants he is clearly bipolar, subject to crushing depressions, bouts of self-hatred and sadness When the pendulum swings the other way, he becomes a social and artistic juggernaut overpowering everything in his path. While Bernstein was clearly homosexual, we can’t dismiss his marriage to Felicia as a cover story…[Nonetheless]….Cooper and his co-writer, Josh singer with help from cinematographer Matthew Libatique have chosen to view their subject through the lense of his sexual proclivities….Instead of seeing Bernstein as a great man or an artistic genius, we take these things for granted and look at the ferment beneath the carapace of fame….A great part of the bond between Felicia and Lenny is her belief in his talent….Apart from the concert sequences, the music is all by Bernstein, so we are subliminally absorbing his creative efforts while we watch the whirlwind of his life play itself out. Maestro’s patchwork narrative will polarise audiences, but…this restless montage…so perfectly echoes the personality of its subject”.

Source: John MacDonald (2023), ‘Maestro Is a Masterwork’, Australian Financial Review Weekend, 16-17 December, p39 (originally from the Washington Post).

[mariocki]

Una lucertola con la pelle di donna (A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, 1971)

"You dream of having an affair with this woman who lives next door. To you, that woman represents sin, moral degradation. The house next door is a symbol of vice. From what you've told me, Mrs. Durer is not exactly respectable."

"No... she certainly is not."

[an-american-whovian]

• An American Whovian Reviews: 'The Devil's Chord' — by Russell T Davies.

I'm sure a lot of us were hoping this would be a legit musical episode and we got a lil' bit of that at the end. However, what we still got was a lotta fun. Mostly due to the eponymous time wizard's latest terrifying villain: The Maestro.

Also, some people complained about The Beatles casting — but I've definitely seen worse .

⭐⭐⭐ outta four.

[watchilove]

Joy, Colours, Expertise - Review Gerald Charles Maestro 8.0 Squelette (Photo fest)

Gerald Charles introduced in 2022 the Maestro 8.0 Squelette, a testament to the art of watchmaking. This exclusive timepiece marries Mr. Genta’s iconic and unmistakable Maestro case shape with a unique open-worked movement, designed by acclaimed contemporary artist Octavio Garcia. We have a look at one of the latest iterations, the Maestro 8.0 Squelette Ref. GC8.0-A-07, now available for preorder…

[shredsandpatches]

This time last week I was getting ready to sing in Berlioz's Damnation de Faust with the symphony chorus and it was absolutely wonderful -- this was the season finale and the last performance in our home venue for two years while it's renovated, and it's also our musical director's favorite piece and the one that was cancelled on final dress night back in 2020. I wasn't even in the chorus yet in 2020 but it was cathartic all the same. And the principal cast was just absolutely perfect.

I feel like most of the time I'm not visible in the photos from concerts but you can see me in all of these.

[oscarupsets]

So very excited to present my rankings for the 10 Best Picture nominees ahead of the 96th Oscars this Sunday!

Regular Oscar research aside, I wanted to see Oppenheimer from the first trailer. I bought tickets specifically to see it in 70mm (the only one on this list I paid full price for), and I loved every minute of it. My top pick of the year without question.

I will also admit that I could easily rewatch Killers of the Flower Moon, didn't love Poor Things, and still don't get the hype for Past Lives. Maybe I'm a fake film snob, maybe I didn't appreciate them enough, I don't know 🤷‍♀️ Films can be super artsy and unconventional and still be just ok.

While I do not believe all 10 of these films deserved their nomination, I could not give you specific films to replace them with. I also didn't hate any of them! They all have good qualities, some just aren't my favorite of the year.

At the end I included 4 additional films that I saw this season that I enjoyed enough to write about.

Ratings are current as of 3/8/2024.

[filmgamer]

Dune 2, Kung Fu Panda 4, Glen Powell and PS5 Pro: Podcast: S3 E.13

You can also listen on Spotify: Listen on Apple Podcasts: (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/2une-down-those-kung-fu-panda-4-reviews-and-ps5-pro-rumours/id1630483024?i=1000648361383)

[usergreenpixel]

The last (pinky promise, Neighbors!) rescheduling for “El Encargo del Maestro Goya”. It’s coming on Sunday.

Stay tuned!

P. S. If there are any deaf or hard of hearing people in my audience, you will be welcomed to add your views on the disability representation in the book. Personally I love it, but it would be interesting to discuss.

[lascapigliata]

am now well over halfway through my oscars challenge based on my own secret formula (aka guesstimating) so here is my ongoing microreviews post, for those curious

for some reason when i started writing i did this in order of # of nominees. don’t ask ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

oppenheimer: way too long. even cillian murphy, who was great, cannot sustain 3 hours of biopic. i felt his character development was unearned and rushed. the acting was good all around (though it was so man heavy that i sort of forgot emily blunt was there, surprising that she got that nomination when may december is RIGHT there) and it was gorgeously shot but it just needed a solid edit both in writing and runtime. one of those movies that made me feel stupid bc everyone else liked it. to the tune of 13 noms :/ (i have been told by many that you need to see it in a theater. well then don't release it for home viewing i guess, sorry!) (edit - having watched maestro rustin and napoleon 👎 three mid to bad biopics - this has warmed in my memory)

poor things: mixed feelings. overhyped doesn’t cover it. beautiful to look at. great acting from everyone including emma stone and mark ruffalo who is having simply the time of his life. it’s very funny which i wasn’t expecting! but it felt all a little too affected, a little too Intentionally Weird. idk i really wanted to love it but it was just sort of like okay! watched that! ✅

killers of the flower moon: enjoyed it a lot. i thought lily gladstone was amaaaaazing - their role had potential to just be like melodrama and one-note but they brought so much depth to it. leonardo was fine but of the white people deniro was the standout. too long of course. i alternately remember it as better or worse than it felt in the moment, but even though i wasn't in a theater it was still a good time

barbie: my brother loved this and i thought it was okay. the first half in barbieland and her first fish out of water scenes in the real world were a ton of fun, and it sort of got boring-er from there. visually very clever and fun. but the politics were hollow. relationship between america ferrera’s character and her daughter was unconvincing. the last scene pissed me off so much bc it was just totally unnecessary- should have (spoiler) ended with her putting her heels down and the audience can infer the rest be saved 5 minutes of runtime. (you’ll be shocked to hear i thought this was too long)

maestro: awful. manages to flatten felicia bernstein and somehow doesn’t replace that missing character with anything of substance. neglects to focus on what made bernstein actually interesting by putting basic stock biopic oscar bait scenes together and forgetting about his actual life and accomplishments. i went in knowing i wouldn’t like it but hoping there’d be redeeming qualities and found nearly none. even the best scene - his conducting the mahler resurrection symphony - pales in comparison to just finding the real video of bernstein conducting which is available for free on youtube.

american fiction: great. in theaters so no concept of length but it didn’t drag too much. jeffrey wright did an AMAZING job - so funny and also so grounded. made me cry early on too which i was Not expecting lol. definitely some 😬 moments for me as a white woman but i think that’s healthy for us once in a while. as a side note it was oddly preceded by 15 min of horror movie trailers which was bizarre

anatomy of a fall: LOOVED IT. broadchurch vibes. watched it with a friend who’s a lawyer so we kept pausing to theorize bc it is a great movie for that and she also provided commentary on the courtroom techniques of the lawyers lol. was also thinking about it hours and hours later. such a good film. even understood some of the french lol. big warning for pet illness though - the dog survives but it was not fun

the holdovers: nothing revolutionary but such a sweet little movie. not a huge amount to say about it - watched it on a plane and that was kind of the perfect vibe. i did think that da’vine joy randolph did a fantastic job. a good time. idk that it’s Best Picture worthy but who even knows what that award means

the zone of interest: technically impressive on every level (yes, including sound, which it should win) but i didn’t love it. i guess it’s just that i feel like “look! the mundanity of evil!” was not enough to carry this - it is SO mundane and SO jarring that halfway through i kept just being like “yeah yeah i get it” which itself is ironically kind of normalization but not the way the film intended. but i do think this is more a personal preference issue than actual issues with the movie.

napoleon: quite bad. boring, unfocused. couldn’t decide if it was about the marriage or his ambition and yet didn’t give josephine a character nor made thrilling battle sequences. unfortunately all i will remember is how they randomly used pride and prejudice’s soundtrack out of the blue (indicative of its equally unfocused score), and how joaquin phoenix had an american accent while everyone around him didn’t. also… too long!

the creator: pretty good! not a particularly innovative story but honestly it’s nice to see a good movie done right. hans zimmer rare W these days. john david washington still isn’t the greatest actor but it’s no big when ken watanabe is right there. the vfx are indeed very good. it even tackled western imperialism ok i thought though i obviously welcome discussion here!

past lives: beautiful touching etc. not an easy watch but i loved it. sort of found a great melancholy middle ground that didn’t feel maudlin but certainly wasn’t very happy. unbelievably that greta lee received no nomination for her phenomenal work (or teo yoo or john magaro for that matter). great length too - a perfect 1h45. just well done all around

society of the snow: great little disaster movie if slightly uneven. gorgeously shot for one thing. the tension is well done though i think it ended too… tidily. the fundamental problem i have tho is that if i was in their situation i’d have no qualms about eating people but that’s not the movie’s fault. the music reminded me of giacchino so i couldn’t help but make lost comparisons but that's also not the movie's fault lol. (edit: the music is literally BY giacchino and i thought i'd looked it up. it's a good score! he knows what he's doing!)

may december: LOVED IT!!! fantastic length, fantastic acting. as the great harry styles said it’s nice to see a movie that’s a real movie. i can’t wait to watch this again, i thought the writing was fantastic and it’ll gain a lot on rewatch too. would have loved more focus on the relationship with the kids, but that’s just because i personally found it fascinating. annoying it was only nommed for best screenplay when the acting was so good - yes especially charles melton!!

rustin: not as good as i wanted it to be. all the acting is fantastic especially (unsurprising) colman domingo, but i agree with reviews that said it avoided some of his more radical politics and that the love triangle was not super well executed, and i personally thought the end felt super rushed. it was just too biopic-y. but there was a lot to recommend it anyway just on acting alone though honestly

the color purple: enjoyed it a lot! never saw the original movie but it def smoothed away some stuff from the book in a way that doesn’t surprise me at all but was still too bad. there were clearly songs cut from the show bc there was a huge chunk in the middle with no singing lol. the acting was universally good but i cannot lie danielle brooks stole the show every second she was on screen. the music itself was great too and i think the director really dug into the musicalness of it which is so necessary in something like this. (end credits were particularly good!)

across the spiderverse: what is there to say about this that hasn’t been said. the first movie was much tighter in terms of plot / writing. the politics of this one were sort of a mess. but the animation was so spectacular that it sort of sanded over the flaws i saw in it in my memory and i'd be happy if it won

the boy and the heron: a lovely movie. miyazaki hasn’t lost it. i’d love for this to win best animated as i suspect it will. beautiful visually, very like pan’s labyrinth vibe plot wise. hard to say a lot here bc it was just very good, very solid. + miyazaki simply loves an old wrinkly lady and you know what i think that’s great. deserved a nom for score over fuckin indiana jones for sure

robot dreams: i wanted to adore this but instead i just liked it. it was beautiful and sweet and a nice love letter to new york and everything but i hated the ending lol. it’s a huge swing though with no dialogue and only one real song and you gotta give them points for that! plus it is genuinely sweet and everything. i just was pissed at the literal last scene lol

elemental: better than i expected it to be but still basically eh. some of the technical work is SO impressive - like the non-anthropomorphic water - that it actually highlights how Animated the characters are. but i don’t regret watching. highly recommend doing so stoned if that’s your jam because the animation really is the cool part - pixar’s stories have rly become very templated and boring

nimona: iirc a fun movie, but nothing like jaw dropping. can't evaluate it objectively though bc it wasn't the book and the book was better, unsurprisingly. i watched it a long time ago, it didn't leave a huge impression; i remember it was a cute adaptation. mainly i don't think nimona surpassed suzume (and pixar was always going to get that nomination no matter what), so mostly i'm bitter that suzume wasn't nominated sorry

dial of destiny: fell asleep the first time i watched it, got distracted the second time. it was... fine? the deaging was AWFUL, i'm glad it did not get a makeup or vfx nom, it literally just looked like a videogame and it still SOUNDED like 70yo harrison ford. the score was fine but the same thing john williams has been doing for this franchise since 1981. just like… an unnecessary movie idk

[terrainofheartfelt]

If you’re still adding to your 2023 watchlist may I suggest the following: Are You There God It’s Me Margaret, Asteroid City, Maestro, Polite Society, All of Us Strangers, and Passages 🫡

Oh for sure! thank you love!!!!!

[mylifeincinema]

My Week(s) in Reviews: December 31, 2023

My last post of 2023! Gonna make this quick-ish, but stay tuned, because sometime in the coming week I'm going to start posting My Best of 2023... Starting with My Most Anticipated Films of 2024. So yeah, be on the lookout for that. Anyway, here's what I've been watching...

Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2023)

So damn good, but also significantly overlong. I hate that Emma Stone’s odds are going down, as she delivers what will likely remain a favorite ‘til the end of the decade. Mark Ruffalo is also a blast, and also deserves the win. I honestly didn’t think he still had a performance like this in him. Dafoe is magnificently weird, and every time he graced the screen was a treat. Yorgos went off, here. This is probably his best work yet, despite being in need of some serious trimming. It’s also one of the most visually interesting films of the year. I just loved how this movie was shot. And it’s very easily better than the book. So, y’know, there’ that too. - 8.5/10

Saltburn (Emerald Fennell, 2023)

Awkwardly overwritten but exquisitely shot and weirdly intoxicating. There's no character, here, that's less than detestable, and I kinda loved it. - 7/10

The Iron Claw (Sean Durkin, 2023)

This would’ve been better if they’d had all of the actual wrestling happen off-screen. It would’ve cut the bloated running-time without affecting its emotional heft. Sean Dunkin did great work, though, and captured these brothers’ relationships in such an emotionally raw manner. Maura Tierney quietly delivered the film’s most gutting performance. Well, kinda, but not really, because Zac Efron seriously impressed. I didn’t know he had this level of emotional fragility in him as an actor. Damn. - 8/10

Maestro (Bradley Cooper, 2023)

Structurally flawed and occasionally over-directed, but both Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan knock it out of the park, and that major conducting scene was absolutely breathtaking. - 7.5/10

Saw X (Kevin Greutert, 2023)

So, what, Jigsaw's like a Dexter-type anti-hero, now? I don't know, maybe that's not new, it's been a while since I've seen one of these. The violence is creative and painful enough to make it worth watching, especially with how awful the people are. Nothing special. It's torture-porn at its most reliable, maybe? I don't know. - 6/10

Past Lives (Celine Song, 2023)

I can see why people are taking to this one, but aside from the general yearning for the nostalgic hitting home, this didn't do too much for me. Greta Lee is really good, though. - 6.5/10

Enjoy!

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[the-celluloid-correspondent]

Maestro Movie Review

A portrait of Leonard Bernstein's singular charisma and passion for music as he rose to fame as America's first native-born, world-renowned conductor, following his ambitions to compose symphonic and popular Broadway musicals. 

On November 14th, 1943, a young conductor and composer, Leonard Bernstein, substituted at the last minute to conduct the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall. Since that fateful day, Leonard Bernstein has become a legend in the music industry as he is regarded as the first great American Maestro. Whose music will span for generations to come. Since his passing in 1990, many filmmakers have tried adapting his complicated life to the big screen. Even filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese have passed on the project to hand it off to Bradley Cooper. Cooper has proven himself over the past decade that he is one of the best actors in the business, but a rising writer and director. So it came as a shock to me to see how simple Maestro was. 

If you have seen any music-related biopic, then Maestro is going to feel very familiar as it follows the standard plotline of this genre. From the rise to the fall and the eventual redemption of said person, Maestro falls into all of the traps that plague the biopic genre. Thus causing the story, the characters, and their relationships to feel very surface-level and superficial. Leonard Berstein was a musical genius whose personal life was very complicated, yet the story portrays his life as a very simple matter. By the end of the film, we don’t understand what Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre were really like. Maestro never dives into Bernstein’s creative passion and what made him tick. Nor does it dive into his battle with his sexuality and how it affected his relationship with others, especially his wife. These essential biopic questions and many others are either entirely glossed over or vaguely touched on. And what further adds to my frustration is that the film acts a lot smarter than it is. 

Now the reason why it feels smarter than it is is due to Cooper’s brilliant direction. Despite writing an average biopic script with writer Josh Singer, Cooper’s direction elevates this script to the next level. Cooper’s direction is brilliant as he further refines his directorial touch. He transports his audiences through the decades of Bernstein's life with his beautiful visual storytelling. The film starts as a black-and-white musical fantasy that is straight from the 1940s and 50s to highlight the youth and joy of Bernstein's early life. Then the film transforms into the lush but gritty technicolor allure seen in the 1960s and 70s to highlight the marital struggles between Leonard and Felicia. As the decades progress, so does the filmmaking style that Cooper utilizes. Furthermore, his utilization of long, uninterrupted takes just further immerses the audience into this story. Cooper has clearly shown great care in his craft while crafting this film, especially in the film's musical scenes. The recreation of Bernstein conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s “Ressurection” is an out-of-body experience. Then for the rest of the film, utilizing Bernstein’s musical composition to tell his life story is beautifully touching and personal. 

Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan both gave some of the best performances of their careers in Maestro. The pair have impeccable chemistry on screen as they completely transform into their respective characters. Nailing all aspects of their characters from their mannerisms to their voices. We watch the pair go through all the trials of this very complicated relationship. From star-crossed-lovers to fiery fights, and heartbreaking diagnoses, they perfectly portray this couple's complicated life. Even though the material lacked the depth required to portray these characters properly, both were able to give their characters and their relationships some depth with their performances. However, despite being first billed, Carey Mulligan is sidelined in the film. I wished the film explored more of her perspective and her reaction to Leonard's constant cheating as he was a closeted bisexual/gay man. Mulligan elevates it as much as she can, but she is sadly left out to dry. The same can be stated for Cooper as there is no material for him to work with to show the internal conflicts of his closeted character. Both of them will easily earn an Oscar nomination but might miss the award because of how shallow their characters were written. 

With Netflix providing the majority of the film's financial backing, you know that it will look good. The cinematography is breathtaking as it transforms in style as the decades progress in Bernstein’s life. From the classic black-and-white Hollywood looks of the 1940s to the technicolor of the 1960s, you will be immersed in this story. What further adds to the immersion is the impeccable production and costume design that is period-accurate. However, I am sad that they gloss over that Felicia was an influential fashionista during the mid-century. 

I expected more out of Maestro than a standard musical biopic. Leonard Bernstein’s legacy will last generations, and to see his biopic play it safe is a little insulting. Especially when Lenny took massive risks in his musical career. This film has all of the elements of a masterpiece, but its safe and shallow script prevents it from achieving that status.

My Rating: B

[married-2-the-music]

Seventeen Deep Dive #3/3: Who Are The First K-pop Group At Glastonbury?

Seventeen is one of the biggest groups in k-pop (both in terms of fame and how many members they have and how popular they are) and they debuted in 2015. They actually have thirteen members, not seventeen: Woozi, Hoshi, Jeonghan, DK, Dino, Wonwoo, Seungkwan, S.Coups, The8, Jun, Joshua, Vernon, and Mingyu.

Here are my credentials: I would consider myself a fan of Seventeen. I’ve heard many of their songs and like them, including some b-sides. And I know a little about the members from watching interviews. But, I decided to do this deep dive because I wanted to know more, and I felt like now was the perfect time to do it.

[seoulbeatscom]

Seventeen Cleverly and Confidently Assert Their Artistry in "Maestro"

The presence of the samples, while mostly subtle, conveys that no matter how much Seventeen experiments, they are still Seventeen. Apt for the 17 is Right Here album, “Maestro” is both retrospective and futuristic. 

[watchilove]

Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Grass

Earlier this year, Gerald Charles launched two colourful and light sports watches. The Maestro GC Sport Clay and the Maestro GC Sport Grass celebrate the noble sport of tennis and celebrate some of the tennis players who are part of the Maison’s Friends of the Brand. It was a pleasure to have the prototype of the Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Grass in trials, this is our report. Continue…

[geekpopnews]

Review | Doctor Who: O Som do Diabo (The Devil's Chord)

O segundo episódio de Doctor Who, "O Som do Diabo", chegou e nos apresenta um vislumbre do que foi prometido no especial de 60 anos. #DoctorWho #14thseason #Disney+ #NcutiGatwa #MillieGibson

Na transição do primeiro para o segundo episódio da nova Era de Doctor Who, é evidente o avanço na qualidade do roteiro de Russell T. Davies, em “O Som do Diabo” (The Devil’s Chord), contamos com a inclusão de personagens históricos, incluindo os Beatles. Contudo, o verdadeiro ponto alto é a introdução de um novo vilão, sinalizando promessas empolgantes para o desenrolar da série. A promessa do…