Meghan McCain Slams Bradley Cooper's 'Maestro'

Starring Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein, Maestro is a critically acclaimed biopic now streaming on Netflix—but Meghan McCain is one person who isn't impressed with the film.

Cooper, who produced Maestro alongside Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, co-wrote, directed and starred in his movie about the life of the legendary conductor, who brought the world West Side Story and On the Town.

The film was on limited release before it debuted on Netflix on November 24 to much fanfare and Oscar buzz. Cooper and co-star Carey Mulligan have earned glowing reviews from movie critics and received multiple nominations from awards like the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards.

McCain disagrees with the hype. The 39-year-old political commentator and former The View cohost slammed the movie as difficult to sit through.

"Watched Maestro last night and....I could barely get through it," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "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?"

Newsweek reached out to representatives for Cooper and McCain for comment via email Friday.

People responding to McCain's post seem to feel the same.

"I didn't get through it. Very dull," one person wrote.

"My wife and I started it but turned it off 15 mins in when it became clear this was meant as an 'artistic movie' for the Hollywood Elite. Little entertainment focus. Waste of money and talent," said another.

"This film was dreadfully dull. The entire film can be summarized as: Bernstein was married to a woman but really into men, which wife had a problem with for some mysterious reason, but over time she chose to accept his behavior, so everyone else should as well," a third person wrote.

An X user said: "Every time I watch one of these shows that gets so much Oscar Buzz I am disappointed. I have no idea how they get excited about those movies. Sounds pseudo political to me."

Not everyone agreed with McCain, though, as others shared their appreciation for the movie.

"This beautiful film was made for curious, thinking people who are interested in getting a glimpse into the life of one of the most gifted musicians in our lifetime. Jewish. Bisexual. Talented. Three things you may not be, but you won't hurt you. OMG I just wasted 3 minutes of my life on Megan McCane [sic]!!!" an X user commented.

"It's a shame that a talentless individual feels like they can judge the talented..all you do well is..um..well what CAN you do?" a second person wrote.

Another X user said: "Shorter version: I don't understand art at all."

Maestro follows Bernstein away from the world of his career, shining a light on his marriage to Costa Rican-born actress Felicia Montealegre, portrayed by Carey Mulligan. Their love story spans over 30 years, from meeting at a party in 1946 and continuing through their quarter-century marriage.

Although Montealegre is initially shown as thinking she can ignore her bisexual husband's relationships with male suitors, their marriage ultimately ends as a result of his infidelity.

Kristie Macosko Krieger, one of the producers of Maestro, previously revealed to Newsweek that Cooper had a long list of "non-negotiable" requirements for starring in and directing the movie.

"Bradley didn't make it an easy situation for us," Krieger said with a laugh. "He wanted to shoot the movie in the hallowed halls where Lenny and Felicia lived their lives. So he wanted to shoot a tango, he wanted to shoot at Carnegie Hall, he wanted to shoot in Ely Cathedral, he wanted to shoot at The Plaza, he wanted to shoot in Central Park. He wanted to shoot in the Dakota, but we couldn't shoot in the Dakota, so we had to build the Dakota to look exactly like their apartment did.

"And so making [Maestro] in the real spaces, he wanted to shoot live music, he wanted to shoot on film. These are all things that were non-negotiable for him. And he wanted to shoot with the prosthetic makeup, and he wanted to shoot it over five decades. So like, all of those things made it like the triple Salchow to accomplish. It was not an easy film to make."

But, added Krieger, "it was the right way to make the film. And he knew that that was exactly what we should do. And that was the way to tell the story of their lives."

Maestro is currently streaming on Netflix.