Bradley Cooper's transformative turn as Leonard Bernstein in the Golden Globe-nominated Maestro has attracted both admirers and naysayers. Bernstein's own children occupy the former category and, apparently, The View's Meghan McCain in the latter.
Never one to shrink from drama, the former co-host of the ABC talk show took to X (formerly known as Twitter) with her own critique of the biographical drama, which largely centers on the complicated marriage between the legendary conductor-composer and his wife Felicia Montealegre (played in the film by Carey Mulligan). Despite the considerable awards buzz swirling around the drama, McCain's write-up was not a rave review, calling the drama "so disappointing":
Watched Maestro last night and….I could barely get through it. I’m frustrated I wasted what little free time I have open at night (with 2 young kids) watching it. Why are so many Oscar buzz movies like this and so disappointing? Who are these movies for?
Some of McCain's 788,000-plus followers responded to the political commentator's tweet, which was posted on Wednesday, December 27. Some users agreed that they, too, found the biopic "very dull" and "turned it off 15 minutes," while others spoke supportively of Cooper and Co.'s efforts, saying the "beautiful film" was "deserving of the buzz."
One called out the "Jewface" controversy that has plagued the production, after it became known that Cooper would be utilizing a prosthetic nose in his portrayal of the Jewish-American Bernstein. (The actor-filmmaker has since responded to the allegations.)
Several followers offered up other recent movie titles for McCain to watch in Maestro's place, including the "great" sci-fi flick Godzilla Minus One, the George Clooney-directed period piece The Boys in the Boat, and the 2023 musical adaptation of The Color Purple.
Watched Maestro last night and….I could barely get through it. I’m frustrated I wasted what little free time I have open at night (with 2 young kids) watching it.Why are so many Oscar buzz movies like this and so disappointing? Who are these movies for?December 27, 2023
McCain is regularly opinionated over on Twitter, where she recently blasted Jennifer Garner for letting her daughter wear a crewneck sweater with a watermelon print on it, allegedly a show of support for Palestine. On January 4, the television personality wrote that she "expected more" from the 13 Going on 30 star because "she is from West Virginia" and dubbed the actress one of the "lunatic Hollywood people."
Meghan had more positive things to say about comedian-actor Katt Williams, posting on Friday, January 5 that his recent appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast—during which Williams called out several of his fellow comics, including Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey, Ricky Smiley and Faizon Love—was "one of the most riveting interviews" she had seen in years.
However, despite what McCain has to say about Maestro, it's looking like entertainment award bodies seemingly don't agree with the former The View star. The 2023 film has garnered four nominations at this Sunday's Golden Globes, including Best Actor and Best Director for Cooper, Best Actress for Mulligan, and Best Motion Picture – Drama. And it's likely that it will repeat that nomination success when the 96th annual Academy Award nods are announced on January 23, 2024.
You can make your own judgment of Maestro by tuning into the drama, now available on streaming with a Netflix subscription. Do you agree with McCain?
