Back in March, post-production work on Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” had supposedly been completed.
This meant that the test-screening, which occurred on 02.09.22, must have, more or less, been the finished product. Reactions from that screening were mixed, but one person I spoke to, a former film critic, loved it. He seemed to be in the minority.
Usually, a film that tests this early, months before its intended release date, is an indication that either the studio, or the filmmaker himself, aren’t happy with the finished product.
It then made sense that a few weeks later Maestro scheduled reshoots and touch-ups in New York City. Now a new cut is set to be test-screened next week in the Northeast.
The first 20 or so minutes of “Maestro” are supposed to be in black and white, but, after that intro, the rest of the film is all in color. The makeup work is said to be incredible, Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein ages in very realistic fashion.
Cooper has been working closely with the Bernstein estate over the past couple of years to nail the details of this biopic. Suffice to say, this has been Cooper’s passion project for almost a decade now and I can’t wait to see it. There’s one scene that keeps getting mentioned in this film — Bernstein conducting at a cathedral.
The film will focus more on Bernstein's relationship with his wife (Carey Mulligan) than it does on his music, but has some great musical moments nonetheless. One of the other highlights is an On the Town dance/dream sequence.
The upcoming film is a biopic based on the life of Bernstein. It is said to span over 30 years, telling the story of the marriage between Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre.
“Maestro” started shooting last May and had wrapped in early Fall. It’s most likely doing the fall festival circuit (Toronto, Venice), probably smack dab in the middle of the Telluride/Venice/Toronto storm.
Still no distributor for "Bucking Fastard," "Alpha Gang," "The Last Photograph," "Closing Night," and "The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd." The issue seems to be quality more than a lack of willingness to buy.