TABLET MAG
The Schnoz
Judith Miller
December 17, 2023

…At its core, Maestro is a love story, not dissimilar in some respects to that of Cooper’s directorial debut, the 2018 remake of A Star Is Born. In both films, Cooper (an obviously secure man, still all too rare in Hollywood) lets his female costars shine. Just as Lady Gaga’s stunning performance dominated Cooper’s first film, the true star of Maestro is Carey Mulligan—destined to be an Oscar contender for her riveting portrayal of Chilean actress Felicia Montealegre, Bernstein’s complicit, long-suffering wife. Cooper clearly had no interest in making a comprehensive biopic. What clearly fascinated him was the couple’s complex, loving, and fraught relationship. READ MORE