Bradley Cooper's sophomore directorial film, Maestro, landed on Netflix this week and while many viewers have taken to social media with high praise for the drama, others couldn't help but point out the "disjointed" nature of the story.
For those yet to watch the movie, which was directed and co-written by Bradley, it's a biographical drama about the famous conductor Leonard Bernstein, who composed West Side Story.
The film focuses on Leonard's relationship and marriage to Chilean-American actress Felicia Montealegre, from when they first met in 1946 until her death from lung cancer in 1978.
Taking to X, one viewer acknowledged the incredible performances from leads Bradley and Carey Mulligan, while commenting on the "time jumps" in the story. "It goes without saying that Cooper & Mulligan are absolutely incredible in their dedication to their roles in Netflix's #Maestro. But their performances get lost in between emotionally jarring cuts, erratic time jumps & a script that lacks a point of view to elevate the biopic," they wrote.
© Jason McDonald/NetflixA second person penned: "Bradley Cooper is truly an incredible director. #Maestro is some gorgeous filmmaking. THAT SCENE took my breath away. My only real issue with it is how it jumps from one scene to another w/out some real flow, hence some parts of the story feel incomplete, unresolved or disjointed," while a third remarked: "The big problems are story and editing. The story sequence is disjointed. It made me unable to connect with Felicia and Bernstien's relationship and editing that doesn't connect to the story."
While some viewers may have taken issue with the time jumps in the film, others thoroughly enjoyed the feature, hailing it as "beautiful".
Many highlighted a particular six-minute scene in the film, which sees Bradley conducting the London Symphony Orchestra in Mahler's 'Resurrection' Symphony at Ely Cathedral – just like his character did in 1973.
© Netflix"This conducting scene is certainly one of the most memorable in any film this year. The audience I saw it with burst into applause afterwards," wrote one person.
A second added: "The scene of Bernstein conducting Gustav Mahler's Resurrection Symphony is simply breathtaking."
© Jason McDonald/NetflixViewers also praised Bradley and Carey's performances in the film, with many predicting the pair will pick up Oscar nominations next year.
One person wrote: "Give #CareyMulligan an Oscar!!! Well deserved. Her performance was outstanding in #Maestro," while another penned: "#Maestro is an absolutely beautiful movie. Give #BradleyCooper & #CareyMulligan all of the awards now."
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While there's no doubt Bradley and Carey's performances are deserving of recognition in the upcoming awards season, they've got tough competition.
© Jason McDonald/NetflixMaestro will likely face Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon and Barbie in the Best Picture category, while there's no doubt Cillian Murphy, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie will lead the Actor and Actress in a Leading Role nominations for their respective roles in the three films.
Official Academy Award nominees will be named on January 23, so we'll just have to wait until next year to find out who's in with a chance of taking home an Oscar on March 10.
