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THE MAESTRO
Director: Adam Cushman Cast: Leo Marks, Xander Berkeley, Sarah Clarke, Mackenzie Astin, Joëlle Séchaud, William Russ, Jon Polito, Jonathan Cherry, Raúl S. Julia, David J. Phillips, Logan Trainer MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:34 Release Date: 2/15/19 (limited) |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | February 14, 2019 For every Hollywood story with a happy ending, in which the wannabe-star realizes his or her dream to make it big, there are probably thousands of others that don't turn out that way. Admirably, The Maestro tells one of those stories—two of them, actually. It's not spoiling the end of this tale to point out that Jerry Herst (Leo Marks), an aspiring composer, doesn't make the bigtime after taking lessons from Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (Xander Berkeley), an established composer based in Hollywood. Most will recognize the names of some of Castelnuovo-Tedesco's other students—John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, and Henry Mancini, to name a few. Herst's name won't be familiar. Those who know the famous movie composers, for that matter, won't know Castelnuovo-Tedesco's name, either. Of the more than a hundred movies for which he composed music, he wasn't credited for most of his scores. C.V. Herst's screenplay gives us the story of how the up-and-coming-but-never-to-be student learns from the teacher, who is successful but not in the way that he wants to be. The student-teacher dynamic here is intriguing—and not in the obvious way. Jerry learns a lot about music—composition, how and why to play and write it, the ins and outs of its place in the movie business. He also, though, learns a lot about the kind of musician and man he wants to be from Mario. It's by example—but not in the straightforward way. The story follows a post-World War II Jerry as he travels to Los Angeles, after leaving behind a law career, his family, and a sweetheart. Seeking the tutelage of Mario, Jerry hopes to become a successful composer for the motion pictures, and he has to endure the mercurial moods of "the maestro," the cluttered conditions of living on-the-cheap in L.A., and the uncaring attitude of Hollywood executives toward musical craft. Herst's screenplay and director Adam Cushman do care about the craft enough to show that it's a constant toil with, for most, minimal rewards. They also care about this relationship, especially in how Mario, who seems to have everything Jerry could want, shows what the grind, the absence of recognition, and the cookie-cutter mentality of Hollywood can do a legitimate talent. The Maestro shows how hard it is to make it in Hollywood and how making it might not be worth the price. Copyright © 2019 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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