Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic is up seven awards at both the Oscars and the BAFTAs.
Long before it premiered, Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro was being marked out as a potential awards player – and so it has proven to be.
The film has scored seven nominations at both the Oscars and the BAFTA Film Awards, with stars Cooper and Carey Mulligan competing in the lead acting categories at both ceremonies and the film also up for Best Picture at the former.
Prior to its release, the film had been subject to some controversy due to Cooper’s use of a large prosthetic nose, but Bernstein’s own family released a statement defending the production against claims of anti-Semitism.
Meanwhile, the composer’s daughters later dismissed the backlash in an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, during which they also discussed how accurately the film portrayed the true story of their parents’s marriage.
After premiering to rave reviews at the Venice Film Festival in September, the film opened in cinemas late last year – but with it back in the headlines due to all of the awards attention, you might be wondering where you can watch it now.
Read on for everything you need to know.
Maestro release date
Maestro premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Friday 2nd September 2023 and was given limited theatrical release a few months later from Friday 24th November 2023 – with the run in cinemas ensuring it qualified for major awards contention.
Is Maestro on Netflix?
Yes – Maestro is a Netflix original, and so it arrived on the streamer shortly after its brief run in cinemas.
The film launched on the platform just before Christmas, on Wednesday 20th December 2023.
Maestro plot
The film explores the life of the legendary American composer Leonard Bernstein, with a specific focus on his marriage to Felicia Montealegre.
An official synopsis provided by Netflix reads: “Maestro is a towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.
“A love letter to life and art, Maestro at its core is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.”
Maestro cast
Cooper himself takes on the lead role of Bernstein, while his wife Felicia Montealegre is portrayed by Carey Mulligan.
Meanwhile, Matt Bomer plays one of Bersntein’s lovers, and Maya Hawke and Sarah Silverman star as members of his family – daughter Jamie and sister Shirley respectively.
There are also roles for the likes of Josh Hamilton (The Walking Dead), Gideon Glick (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel), Sam Nivola (White Noise), Alexa Swinton (And Just Like That) and Miriam Shor (Hedwig and the Angry Inch).
Maestro trailer
You can get a flavour for the film by watching the trailer below – which caused both anticipation and controversy when it was released last August.
Maestro is now streaming on Netflix. Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.