Movie review
November 22, 2023 · 129 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Maestro is a 2023 biographical drama directed by and starring Bradley Cooper as composer Leonard Bernstein, centering on his decades-long marriage to actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan) amid his career ascent, infidelities, substance issues, and her eventual death from cancer. The narrative traces their complex love, family life, and his personal contradictions through key periods from the 1940s to the 1980s. Recurring scenes depict Bernstein’s same-sex affairs and a direct marital confrontation referencing his sexuality, making this LGBTQ element a noticeable driver of emotional conflict and character arcs without modern activist framing.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Maestro.
Woke representation / casting
Traditional biopic casting with prosthetic for historical resemblance; no forced diversity, race/gender swaps, or visible modern identity signaling in the film itself.
Woke political dialogue
Virtually absent; story sidesteps Bernstein’s real political activism entirely for personal focus.
Identity-driven story themes
Bernstein’s bisexuality and male affairs recur as central marital conflict drivers, with explicit scenes and confrontations forming a key emotional thread in character arcs.
Western institutional / cultural critique
None; personal flaws presented individually in historical context with no modern activist framing of gender roles or institutions.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Dominant nose stereotyping backlash plus limited bi-portrayal critiques; lacks widespread claims that the core story pushes woke or left-wing messaging.
Creator track record context
Key creatives lack clear pattern of identity-driven or activist prior work; project not framed with social-justice language.
Production
