Eight consecutive days of film screenings, discussions, awards, and celebrations reached their peak at the renowned Hamptons International Film Festival. The series of events ended on October 12th, but not before Maestro was shown on the screen. The tale tells the story of composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, as well as his wife, actress Felicia Montealegre. Bradley Cooper accepted the responsibility of directing while starring in the title role of the film, creating a comprehensive work that viewers are still reminiscing about.
And they’re not the only ones invited to see the masterpiece for themselves. The movie is opening in theaters on Wednesday and is set to be released on Netflix on December 20th. The Hamptons International Film Festival ushered in a warm welcome to set the premier off without a hitch to the benefit of those in attendance.
As far as attention is concerned, Maestro was certainly the talk of the town at the showcase. From controversial topics such as Mr. Cooper’s prosthetic nose to a part featuring Jeremy Strong that didn’t make the final cut, there was plenty to talk about. The rumor mill was turning, and it only served to make the film even more entertaining.
The film also performed well at HIFF, where the Bernstein children Jamie, Alexander, and Nina sported lively reactions to the stories of their parents’ lives. They collectively agreed to allow filming to occur in their family house in Fairfield, Connecticut, adding a touch of authenticity that amplified the effect of the overall result. Cooper proudly dedicated Maestro to them.
Six years ago, Mr. Cooper approached Bernstein’s children with a proposition to create a movie. Without a script, he enthusiastically presented the concept in such a way that they said yes. It was the obvious, unwavering commitment of Carrie Mulligan and Mr. Cooper to their roles that made the children comfortable in accepting the process, leading to a film comprised of genuine notes of the honored couple.
According to Jamie Bernstein, the sound quality of the film alone was astounding. She stated that the careful attention to detail made her father’s music such a powerful presence that “the score was like a co-star.” She also noted that she and her siblings were, “just thrilled at the idea that all these new audiences would discover Bernstein music, not just what they might have already known, like ‘West Side Story,’ but everything else.”
When asked about how it felt to see their lives on the screen, she said it was a surreal and slightly disorienting experience. Some parts may have been painful to watch, but the result was truly exceptional. She said Mr. Cooper “went to such lengths to make sure that he was telling the story in this very real way . . . in this context of family love and connectedness, which is the exact same element that got us through those same difficult moments.”
The Bernstein family expressed their enjoyment of the final film, confident that their parents would have cherished it equally. They claimed that their father would have loved it since he was the subject, and their mother would’ve appreciated Ms. Mulligan’s performance.
