Leonard Bernstein's oldest child Jamie
said Saturday that Bradley Cooper's depiction of the conductor
in the biopic Maestro was respectful of her father.
The Netflix film, which is in competition at the Venice Film
Festival, is at the centre of a 'Jewface' furore over the
prosthetic nose used in Cooper's makeup.
"I met Bradley with (my siblings) Nina and Alex, we understood
his work and trusted him, opening our home and archive to him,"
said Jamie, who is 70.
"We were paid back because this film tastes of love and respect
for him and for our mother Felicia.
"There is nothing that is not respectful, including in the
appearance".
The film's makeup artist Kazu Hiro said he was surprised at the
controversy.
"I'm sorry if I hurt some people's feelings, but this portrayal
had to be as authentic as possible," Hiro said.
"There are lots of images of him and we had to respect them
without compromising".
Cooper, who also directed the film, and his co-star Carey
Mulligan, are not in Venice to present the movie due to the
ongoing Hollywood actors and writers strike.
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