Bradley Cooper embodies Leonard Bernstein in the new trailer for Maestro, the actor-director’s acclaimed biopic about the legendary composer and his lifelong relationship with Felicia Montealegre, played by Carey Mulligan.
Following its teaser trailer this summer, the latest preview further highlights the painstaking (and somewhat controversial) level of detail that Cooper brought to the film, which is divided into both black-and-white (to show flashbacks of Bernstein and Montealegre’s life) and almost cinema verite-style color footage to document the composer’s later years.
“Maestro is the towering and fearless love story chronicling the lifelong relationship between cultural icon Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein,” Netflix said of the film in a synopsis. “A love letter to life and art, Maestro, at its core, is an emotionally epic portrayal of family and love.”
Following Maestro’s premiere in September at the Venice International Film Festival, Rolling Stone wrote in its review of the film, “There will be no doubt in your mind that this is not just a worthy tribute to one of the greatest figures in the American musical canon, but also one of the finest films of the year… Cooper is not only a chameleon, fully embodying Bernstein and his restless genius whilst never striking a false note, but a truly gifted filmmaker. A Star Is Born was no fluke, ladies and gentlemen. This guy is the real deal.”
Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman, Josh Hamilton, Scott Ellis, Gideon Glick, Sam Nivola, Alexa Swinton, and Miriam Shor round out the cast of Maestro, which arrives in theaters on Nov. 22 before hitting the streaming service on Dec. 20. The film was produced by Cooper, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning, and Kristie Macosko Krieger.