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Even before Netflix’s Maestro was released in theaters last month, it had already been hit by two controversies.
From the first look images and trailers alone, much had been made of star Bradley Cooper’s prosthetic nose, which he wore to portray Leonard Bernstein. The legendary composer and conductor was Jewish, with some commentators criticizing the use of the prosthetic as problematic. Cooper himself, who also directs Maestro, responded to the debate, telling CBS Mornings that whilst he did initially consider not using the nose, his appearance as Bernstein "just didn’t look right" without it.
The other controversy meanwhile surrounds the casting of Carey Mulligan as Bernstein’s wife Felicia Montealegre, a famous Chilean-American actor who was born in Costa Rica. Several people online have criticized the decision to have the British actor Mulligan portray the notable actor, who plays a central role in Maestro as it focuses on the couple’s marriage.
When GamesRadar+ asks the film’s producer Kristie Macosko Krieger about the backlash, she emphasizes that Mulligan was approved by Bernstein’s family, which justifies the choice for the filmmaking team: "She got the approval of the family and that for us, we were doing it right."
"It was Bradley’s idea to cast her and we agreed. I think she’s a national treasure and whilst she’s always been great, this material allowed her to go deeper, to give a beautifully nuanced performance. She knew how to be the rock at the center of the movie – in some ways she’s actually the maestro.”
Bernstein’s daughters are also full of praise for Mulligan, with Nina telling us she was blown away by the actor’s accomplishment in playing their mother: "She’s incredible – especially as she didn’t have much material to study, just some YouTube clips of her TV work and our home movies. I don’t know how she managed to capture our mom’s fragility, strength, and vulnerability – all of those layers."
Nina’s sister Jamie meanwhile gives Mulligan’s performance the highest praise of all, saying Felicia herself would have loved it: "I think that she would really admire Carey’s performance, especially as an actor herself. She would recognize the brilliance of what Carey pulls off."
Maestro is currently showing in select cinemas, ahead of its release on Netflix on December 20. For more from our interviews, read why Spielberg wanted Cooper to direct the film and an exciting update for the upcoming Bullitt reboot.
Looking for more great films on the platform, check out our recommendations of the best Netflix movies you should add to your watch list.
