I love settling in my favorite corner of the couch to watch a movie I have been really looking forward to see. Better yet, is watching a movie in the middle of a yucky weekend day with fresh-made popcorn drizzled with honey and chili powder… and the iPhone on silent.

Last week with all the pomp and circumstance stated above… I watched the Leonard Bernstein movie “Maestro” starring Brad Cooper produced by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. Sounds like a winner… right?

Like many, I was disappointed with the story.

Like many, I felt there was too much love story, and not enough the musical magic making insight.

Like many, I didn’t know he was such a fucked up dude.

Regardless, you take the good with the bad when watching flicks. Maybe I was left empty because I recently watched the intense and deep “Tar” starring Cate Blanchett (click here for that story entitled “The Mind of a Maestro”) which gives a terrific look in at the inner workings of celebrated conductors. I can only image Bernstein mirrored much of what was presented in “Tar”.

She was nuts too.

There was one scene in “Maestro” though that was worth the price of the 2 hrs I invested in the flick. If you saw the movie, you surely know which scene I am talking about.

In it Bradley Cooper gives it everything he’s got to portray the emotion Bernstein must have experienced executing The perfect song. Fellow blogger Ezra Cubero of Silver Screen Xpress wrote a whole story on this one scene and claims it is the “Best Scene of 2023” (click here to read that story).

If you have not watched the film.. don’t. Just watch this one scene by clicking here! : )

So much anticipation and so many reviews… what can I share that was not already said and might interest you???

1. In the movie, Leonard Bernstein often has a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and it causes him to mumble in a distinct way. Early in the movie (during the black and white section) it’s kinda cool. Later when he is grey and grizzled, it is just gross.
   
   Am I the only one who was reminded of Keith Richards doing the same? Identical!

2. In addition to Keith, there are times Brad Cooper as Maestro looks exactly like Sopranos actor Michael Imperioli. If there is every a movie about him (I doubt it), Cooper should get the nod.

3. Leonard Bernstein identifies himself as a “musician” that has two polar opposite platforms: composer (which is private) and conductor (very public). For whatever reason, I really liked this concept.

4. Bernstein’s idea of love was way ahead of his time. Kinda reminds me of Kevin Spacey’s character Frank Underwood on “House of Cards”.

5. As someone who is hard of hearing, it was tough for me to follow the dialogue as many of the scenes were filmed from afar with the actors in the shadows (like the two pics from the movie below).

It happened so much it was obviously deliberate… I am not sure why though.

6. At the end of the movie with Bernstein draped over one of his young students holding a red solo cup wasted out of his mind in a gay club at the age of 70 shows just how empty this dude was.

Wanna make a great movie on Leonard Bernstein… explore what the music did to his mind and soul.

Why was he loveless. Did he sell his soul to devil at the crossroads? Maybe.