Commentary: Netflix has 'Maestro' mania. But for this music critic, the essence of Lenny is missing
LOS ANGELES — "Maestro" is pretty good. At least that appears to be the overall verdict from critics and audiences. In my sphere, the classical music community reaction has been a collective sigh of relief.
The Leonard Bernstein biopic is not mean-spirited as "Tár," about a fictional conductor and Bernstein prodigy. Besides being a great conductor, composer, pianist and educator, Bernstein wrote a winning bestseller, "Joy of Music," and thankfully "Maestro" is not joyless.
At the world premiere of the film in Venice, Italy, Bernstein's three children were seen dancing in the aisles as the credits rolled. At the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, where I saw "Maestro" as part of the AFI Fest, Jamie Bernstein jubilantly introduced the screening by saying that Bradleywho portrays her mother, actress Felicia Montealegre Bernstein.
