12 December 2023 , 21:00
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December is shaping up to be a stellar month of cinema. Not only is it finally time for festive favourites like Home Alone, Elf and Die Hard, but there’s a host of blockbusters on the horizon that will make perfect viewing this Christmas.
Launching later this month is the latest film from Bradley Cooper. The actor-director brings a new biopic exploring the life of renowned composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, one of the most revered composers of his generation who is best-known for a host of symphonies and scores of both stage and screen, including Broadway’s West Side Story and Marlon Brando drama On the Waterfront.
The film marks Cooper’s second stint in the director’s chair following his 2018 Oscar-winning drama A Star is Born. The Hangover star also co-wrote the screenplay with Oscar-winning Spotlight screenwriter Josh Singer and stars in the lead role.
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As well as its star-studded cast, Maestro boasts acclaimed filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg among its producers. The film is something of a passion project for Cooper, who recently revealed he worked for six years to be able to conduct six-minutes of music live for one pivotal scene.
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The film has earned warm reviews since its premiere and currently boasts a 90 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It has also bagged four nominations for next year’s Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director for Cooper.
Here, we break down everything you need to know about Maestro.
What is Maestro about?
Billed by Netflix as a “towering and fearless love story,” Maestro is “a love letter to life and art” that at its core is an “emotionally epic portrayal of family and love” that chronicles the lifelong relationship between Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Bernstein.
The film follows Bernstein from his debut at New York City’s Carnegie Hall to the later years of his life.
Bradley Cooper portray Bernstein through various stages of his life (Netflix)Who is in the cast of Maestro?
Maestro is led – both behind and in front of the camera – by Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper. The American Sniper actor stars as American composer Bernstein throughout his life and career.
He stars alongside Oscar-nominated Promising Young Woman star Carey Mulligan as Broadway actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein, Leonard’s wife. Also starring is Stranger Things’ Maya Hawke as Bernstein’s eldest daughter Jamie and actress-comedian Sarah Silverman as Leonard’s sister Shirley.
Rounding out the cast is Broadway actor Gideon Glick as Berstein’s young protege Tommy Cathron and American Horror Story’s Matt Bomer as David Oppenheim, a clarinettist and Bernstein’s musical contemporary.
Is there a trailer for Maestro?
The official trailer for Maestro was unveiled in October. It can be viewed here.
When is Maestro released?
Maestro premiered in September at the Venice Film Festival – where it was nominated for the prestigious Golden Lion award – before beginning a limited theatrical release in November. The film will make its home debut at 8am on Wednesday, December 20.
Where to watch Maestro
Maestro will be available to stream exclusively on Netflix. This means the film can only be watched with a Netflix subscription, which usually costs £10.99 a month for the streamer’s Standard plan and £17.99 a month for its Premium plan.
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This gives members access to hit shows like Squid Game: The Challenge and the final season of The Crown, plus blockbusters including the stop-motion sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and Zack Snyder’s upcoming space epic Rebel Moon. Savvy shoppers can even get Netflix for free as part of a bargain deal that also includes Sky TV.
Sky is offering an amazing entertainment bundle that includes Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix for £26 a month. This awesome money-saving deal means bargain hunters can save almost £90 and have access to premium Sky channels like Sky Atlantic, Sky Max and Sky Documentaries.
What’s more, members can stream the biggest new films and shows on Netflix such as Squid Game: The Challenge, The Crown, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and Zack Snyder’s space epic Rebel Moon. Film fans can add Sky Cinema to this bundle for an extra £11 and also get Paramount+ included at no extra cost, saving more than £125 and giving access to loads of blockbuster films and shows like Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Top Gun Maverick, Yellowstone, Frasier and South Park.
A Sky Cinema membership also comes with two free Vue cinema tickets every month. Those looking to upgrade their broadband can also add Sky’s Superfast broadband with 35Mb/s for an extra £13 a month.
Netflix is also included with Virgin Media alongside ultra-fast broadband and a bevy of premium TV channels. Virgin is offering its packed Mega Volt bundle for £85 a month, which includes 516MB/s broadband and an O2 mobile SIM with unlimited calls, texts and 5G data.
What’s more, members can watch more than 230 premium TV channels on Virgin’s TV 360 box, which includes Sky Cinema HD, Sky Sports HD, plus Netflix’s Standard plan at no extra cost. The bundle also includes an extra add-on free for six months with O2, with members able to choose from Disney+, Amazon Prime, Audible, Cafeyn, Amazon Music Unlimited, McAfee Mobile Security Plus or O2’s International Bolt On.
While this is certainly pricey compared to Sky’s deal, customers are getting loads for their money with TV, broadband and mobile usage included all in one bundle. Those in the market for a new mobile phone can also get Netflix included with EE when choosing a contract with an inclusive extra.
With plans like the All Rounder, Netflix can be added at no extra cost alongside target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Samsung Galaxy S23 and iPhone 15.
Alternatively, a host of films – including Christmas classics – are available on Disney+ and Amazon’s Prime Video.