Knit to This
Knit to This: Maestro
If you haven’t seen eleventy-umpteen trailers for Maestro, Bradley Cooper’s movie about composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, I worry that you’re not spending enough time on the internet. The algorithms pushed Maestro on me so many times that I almost decided not to watch it, out of cussedness. But I’m so glad I did.
For one thing, Maestro is beautiful. The interior and exterior scenes of New York City, from the 1950s to the 1980s, are stunning. The light in the Bernsteins’ rooms in the Dakota is to die for. The fashions, the furnishings, the concert halls, the parties— it’s all very glamorous, and at the same time the intimate level of detail makes it feel very real. People smoking all the time. Thanksgiving parade floats going by the windows during an epic argument. Just: wow.
I don’t know how they managed to cram so much music, with such variety and incredible performances, into the film. The fantasy dance sequence from On the Town was mesmerizing, and had so many layers. I’m going to re-watch that scene in particular.
As good as the music is, that’s not what the movie is about. It is the story of a marriage that was as messed-up, to the core, as a marriage could be, yet full of the kind of genuine love and devotion, the deep knowledge of each other, that define a good marriage. I keep thinking about it. Carey Mulligan’s performance, naked and fiery and brittle, deserves every prize. Bradley Cooper’s interpretation of Bernstein, while perhaps more of an impersonation, was brilliant in its own way, and gave a sense of Bernstein’s famous charisma to those of us who didn’t witness it in real time. After all the talk I’d read about it, I was curious to see his makeup. I am solidly a fan of it. Making him look more like, well, Bradley Cooper—would have been like changing his name, a choice that Bernstein refused.
Some of the moments I liked best are spoilers, so I’ll leave it here. If you’ve got a Netflix subscription, I highly recommend that you see Maestro for yourself.
The movie is a must see, on so many different levels. It was also personal for us because we are fortunate to have seen Bernstein conduct at Tanglewood on a glorious summer night. The man conducted with his entire body, putting everything he had into the music.
I didn’t knit during the movie, something to consider.
Carey Mulligan is amazing. Does anyone else remember her from Bleak House, which aired on PBS? Now that I can knit along to!
Hi, Mary.
I also was lucky enough to see Mr. Bernstein at Tanglewood. And lucky enough to meet him after the concert. He greeted his admirers in a beautiful striped silk robe. A treasured memory.
Oh yes, I remember her from Bleak House and also as Sally Sparrow in my favorite Dr Who episode, “Blink”, with the terrifying weeping angels!
Whenever I see Carey Mulligan’s name, I think of that Bleak House performance. She is quite amazing.
I guess I’m a real hermit, because I had never seen that trailer, although the existence of the movie was somewhere in my peripheral vision. The trailer is pretty compelling though, I’ll put it on my watch list. And I’m guessing my husband will also like it, it’s hard to find things he will sit through.
Kay—I really enjoyed the film too, despite the over-hyping.
And you are so right: the recreation of the mid-century world was perfection. I saw Bernstein conduct at Lincoln Center in 1966. He seemed to be dancing in a trance!
His daughter says that from the start to the end of a performance, he was in a trance and was obivious to everything and everyone around him.
My husband and I just watched this and found it to be so interesting. It encouraged me to learn more about Bernstein AND his wife who was an interesting person in her own right. We also loved the shots of the Dakota and in particular the floats going by during the Thanksgiving parade (can you imagine!!?). I did knit while watching.
I love reading your column about movie or book selections. You have given me hours of entertainment to enjoy while knitting or just relaxing. Keep up the great recommendations. Thank you so much.
Yes – and I loved Carey Mulligan too. And I want to know the pattern for Bradley Cooper’s lovely Aran cardigan. Anyone? And did you see the video on how Yannick Nezet-Seguin (Met Opera for those who don’t know) taught him to conduct like Bernstein? https://youtu.be/08hfy_exq2I?si=HU_KvCQsX-J17i4q Just beautiful!
Yannick is also artistic director and conductor of the Philadelphia Symphony. He and Bradley Cooper did a joint interview with Terry Gross that is fascinating.
Thank you for posting about this incredible movie.
A must watch.. and then dig up Lenny performances on Youtube. You will not be sorry.
Personal note: I was taken on a road trip as a middle schooler to see Lenny and the NY Phil on tour – playing in the Iowa State Fieldhouse no less! My host (a friend’s dad) was apologetic that we had “cheap seats” located behind the Orchestra. But THESE were the best seats in the house – we got to see Lenny full on, experience Lenny, the NY Phil emoting at his command and giving us goosebumps and tears! He also played a piano concerto. Inspired me to practice my music even more so, and to become an Orchestral musician myself. (and did I mention that my knitting was in the car, to pass the travel hours – I had the knitting bug even as a middle schooler) xo
Just watched it last night and loved it too. I have a somewhat personal connection as I had the chance to meet the Maestro when I lived in NYC as he was a patient at a dental practice where I was a hygienist. Even cleaned his teeth once! They got it right. His effusive love of people was always present as he walked in to the office and gave the DDS the biggest, loudest bear hug possible every time! And genius. I could almost hear the music going through his head as he sat in my chair. I will always love the man and this movie made that even more solid.
Loved it! Such talent, Bernstein’s and Cooper’s.
I watched it in an independent movie theater in Minneapolis. No knitting, but berbere seasoning and nutritional yeast on my popcorn!
If you are fortunate to have local cinemas that screen independent films, please support them! There is no substitute for being held captive in a dark room with a really big screen.
In New York everybody but me saw it at the Paris!
Although knitting while watching something on TV is one of my favorite activities, I couldn’t knit with “Maestro.” I had to WATCH it, every detail. Think I’ll watch it again. Soon.
The performances were so good, so intimate and raw, I felt like I was eavesdropping on this marriage, not watching a movie with actors playing parts. But I did not knit while watching.
Let e just say I was really excited to see this was on Netflix already. I didn’t even finish it. Maybe some day I will give it another chance.
Maestro was mesmerizing. I was fortunate to get to work with Bernstein at Tanglewood as a student in the late 80’s. Cooper embodied the spirit of Lenny. His conducting the London Symphony in the 6 minutes of Mahler 2 was breathtaking. I always cringe (at best) watching non-musician actors playing musicians on screen. I was waiting for Cooper’s “weakness”, but he was impeccable from head to toe on that podium. A brilliant and worthy portrayal of a complicated man and an unconventional marriage.
I can’t wait to watch this but I have to wait for the Oscar nominations. Unless, I’ve seen something when it was originally released, I wait and watch all the Picture of the Year nominees between the announcements and the awards. It’s fun but sometimes hard to wait!!
I had read in advance that Bradley Cooper got permission from the family to film in Bernstein’s beautiful house. I was mesmerized by the scenes filmed there, gazing at each room. It was a great movie, made especially remarkable by Carey Mulligan’s performance. I also put my knitting down.
Our son who lives in Philadelphia and is an opera singer, sings in the chorus of Maestro. He is very much a bass, and his voice is heard best in Mahler’s Symphony #2. I remember as a child, watching him conduct Young People’s Concerts and being completely enthralled. I am a violinist, and was so inspired by him. Of course I had no idea what a complex life he was living.
That Mahler 2 was beautiful. I sobbed through the entire scene.
So did I…
Through the Young People’s Concerts and other NY Phil performances on TV, Leonard Bernstein made classical, jazz, and other music forms readily available for all to enjoy. I grew up watching all of these performances. Memorable for me was seeing the young Andre Watts play on the Young People’s Concerts. So sad that Andre Watts died last year. He had a great career. I need to see Maestro. Thanks for the recommendation.
Your review motivated to get off my duff and out into the sub-zero temps in Chicago to see this in the theater. A fascinating movie–and beautiful, as you noted.
Read the Mary Rodgers ‘memoir’ “Shy” – she worked with Bernstein on the Young People’s concerts. The people she knew …
Or better yet, listen to it read wonderfully by Christine Baranski.
But yes, still seeing ‘ads’ for it ….and for a while my tv was pushing ‘Barbie.’
But it’s Sunday night and that means ‘All Creatures Great and Small.’
Thank you for the recommendation, this looks to be an amazing movie!
We watched it Saturday night for our anniversary, as you do when it’s -27 outside. Not only was the acting really special, but Bradley Cooper created a dreamlike production. Loved it.
Just before Thanksgiving I caught Stephen Colbert’s segment with Bradley Cooper…I’d already been interested but that made me HAVE to see it. Fortunately it was showing at a theater near my office, so I caught it in early December.
You hit it on the head – it is a beautiful film, on so many levels. Personal to me, too, as so much of the music has had an important place in my life (West Side Story was some of my earliest introduction to musical theatre; my 35th birthday was the first time I sang in the Mahler 2; 40th birthday was singing Chichester Psalms; Mass is on my choral bucket list). I watched it again on Netflix on Christmas Day with my parents (who also enjoyed it) and caught even more that I missed the first time.
It sounds as though someone paid you to promote this film. I have never seen a film promoted so much on a knitting website.
If so, I am disappointed.
We aren’t paid to promote anything on our site. This recurring feature on MDK, Knit to This, has been recommending movies, TV shows, music, books, and podcasts since 2016—every recommendation comes because of our enthusiasm, not because somebody paid us. Curious why you’re disappointed.
I have gotten so many great ideas for films and shows to knit to from the Knit to This feature, by the way, and I’m grateful for it. My musician kids alerted me to this one, which is a surprise because it seems like something IG would send to me. Looking forward to seeing it.
I need a little glamour! Can’t wait to see this.
We watched Maestro last night. Your review is beautiful and does the film justice. I will watch it again, and appreciate again the amazing acting and the music. It creates a world in which I was immersed. I kept thinking that was really Leonard Bernstein.