Biopics of public figures who rose to prominence in the 20th century are not impersonation contests, yet there’s inevitably a treasure trove of archival footage of the real-life person available on YouTube et al., and I would gently request you check out a few video clips of Leonard Bernstein in advance of seeing Bradley Cooper’s elegant and soaring and beautiful “Maestro.”
To be sure, it’s practically Movie Law that modern-day biopics feature an end-credits scene in which we see footage of the subject, and “Maestro” fully embraces that trope — but if prior to seeing the film you watch just a few slices of TV shows featuring Bernstein playing the piano, delivering a lecture, giving an interview or conducting, you’ll find it’s the perfect appetizer to lead into Cooper’s brilliant performance, in which he captures the look and mannerisms and speech patterns of the great Bernstein without ever delving into an impression. It’s the best acting work of his career.
