Maestro (2023)

Direction: Bradley Cooper
Country: USA

Directed by and starring Bradley Cooper, Maestro is a well-crafted representation of the enduring marriage between iconic conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein and his actress wife Felicia Montealegre. The film avoids messiness in its timeline, presenting an honest and mature biopic that excels on all fronts.

The story, spanning 30 years, starts with a prologue where Bernstein is filmed and interviewed at home, but the story quickly winds back to his conducting debut with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall and his rapid rise to fame in 1943. Then, it focuses on the couple and how they changed over the years as he embraces the absolute freedom of the artist, sometimes recklessly. Despite betrayals and jealousy, their love proves to be resilient.

Cooper, who co-wrote with Josh Singer (Spotlight, 2015; First Man, 2018), not only delivers his best directorial work - I wasn’t particularly a fan of A Star is Born (2018) - but also his best performance, creating an extremely empathetic atmosphere that spans a wide range of emotions. Carey Mulligan’s earnest performance, the beauty of black-and-white and pastel-colored visuals by Darren Aronofsky’s regular cinematographer, Matthew Libatique, and the immaculate production, involving talents like Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, contribute to the film's richness and tonal consistency. Maestro stands as a testament to Cooper's directorial and acting prowess.

The Dig (2021)

Direction: Simon Stone
Country: UK

This second directorial effort from Simon Stone, a British actor turned director, is set in Suffolk, England, on the eve of WWII. Investing more than anything in its characters, the powerfully performed The Dig was adapted with satisfactory results by Moira Buffini (Jane Eyre, 2011; Byzantium, 2012) from the 2007 novel of the same name by John Preston. Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes lead a soberly efficient cast, playing Edith Pretty, a landowner with an interest in archeology, and Basil Brown, an experienced excavator, respectively. 

After discovering an Anglo-Saxon ship and other valuable relics buried for centuries in the Sutton Hoo, both will learn to deal with the tactless and domineering C.W. Philips (Ken Stott), a Cambridge archeologist who likes to have his own way.

Navigating the story’s period is easy since it was depicted with attention to detail, benefitting from the formidably composed images captured by the lens of Mike Eley (The Selfish Giant, 2013; Marley, 2012; and a few Roger Mitchell films). As a tolerable subplot, there’s this ruined marriage between the avid-for-love Peggy (Lily James) and the closeted gay Stuart Piggott (Ben Chaplin), two members of Philips team, who finally put an end in their relationship as their romantic interests are redirected.

Unfolding methodically with no ambiguities, the storytelling flows with interest but never reaches a climax per se as a consequence of scarce suspenseful moments. Instead, it burns with a constant flame that, never eradicating enjoyment, emits a light that never expands with novelty or surprise.

Promising Young Woman (2020)

Direction: Emerald Fennell
Country: UK / USA

Promising Young Woman marks the feature directorial debut of English actress turned director Emerald Fennell. This hybridized solution of rape revenge thriller and eruptive romance works pretty well thanks to a top-tier performance by Carey Mulligan (An Education, 2009; Suffragette, 2015; Never Let Me Go, 2010). She is Cassie, a 30-year-old medical school quitter who has been living in grief since she lost her best friend, a victim of rape while drunk at a school party. 

Having no social life whatsoever aside from working in a small cafe during the day is a source of deep concern to her parents with whom she lives for seven years. Notwithstanding, she keeps secret her high-risk night-time activity, even further when Dr. Ryan Cooper (Bo Burnham), a former classmate who always had a crush on her, appears out of nowhere to infuse some hope in her inconsolable life.

Expertly written and stringently executed, the film flows effortlessly within a well-mounted narrative structure; things only tremble in the very last chapter. Symbolizing the indignation of all women who had to deal with the torments of extreme sexism, Mulligan exhibits a previously unseen range of talent. Although this isn’t the best movie that could have been made about the subject, it’s invariably entertaining, filled with interesting moments en route to an unorthodox ending.

Wildlife (2018)

Directed by Paul Dano
Country: USA

Actor Paul Dano, best known for his roles in Love & Mercy and There Will Be Blood, has in Wildlife his directorial debut. Dano co-wrote the script with Zoe Kazan based on Richard Ford’s novel of the same name, directing an excellent cast composed of Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan, and Ed Oxenbould. They are the Brinsons, a family living in Great Falls, Montana, in 1960.

Fired without a cause and feeling aimless, Jerry Brandon (Gyllenhaal) temporarily leaves his wife, Jeanette (Mulligan), and 14-year-old son Joe (Oxenbould) in order to join a group of firemen assembled to battle a wildfire that keeps consuming the nearby mountains, close to the Canadian border. Although this is an honorable and brave decision, it comes at a time when his family most needs him. Financial difficulties force both mother and son to find part-time jobs while the inflexible Jerry is decided to risk his life for a miserable salary.

With no news about her husband and mad at him due to his selfishness, Jeanette embarks on a bared romance with Warren Miller (Bill Camp), a middle-aged ex-veteran who thrives in the car business. She doesn’t love him, but he could provide the stability she and her son have been seeking for so long. How does Joe cope with this situation? Well, there’s a traumatic dinner at the man’s house and some unexpected visits that accurately elucidate about his emotional state. Will Jerry be able to mend things up when he returns or it will be even worse?

Compellingly written and acted, Wildlife is a mature drama about a crumbling marriage and the emotional struggle of a sensitive teenager who just aspires to see his parents together. On many occasions, he acts like the adult person who needs to put a stop in his parents’ uncontrolled impetus.

This closely observed family portrait, a study of loss and trauma, comes in tones of pervasive sadness. The fully shaped characters convey innate veracity, making us plunge headfirst into their afflictions, hopes, and frustrations. In particular, it is Mulligan who excels from start to finish.
Advancing quietly but in an assured way, Wildlife is heartbreaking.