As both director and actor, Bradley Cooper isn't afraid to go showy and flamboyant, and for the most part, his approach works within the contours of legendary conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein's larger-than-life personality and unfettered hedonism. With a prosthetic nose that is surprisingly unobtrusive, he captures Bernstein's theatrics as conductor without being excessive, though the lion's share of this 2023 movie is focused on the unconventional, time-spanning love story between Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre played with clipped authority and enveloping vulnerability by Carey Mulligan. Cooper gallantly gives her top billing, but this is far more his star vehicle even as their story takes an uninvited turn. Of course, Bernstein's closeted proclivities provide unavoidable complications throughout. Cooper the filmmaker effectively uses overhead crane shots and mise-en-scene transitions like the welcome "Fancy Free" dance sequence. In fact, I wish more of Bernstein's masterworks and his creative process were prominently showcased like, for example, "West Side Story" and "On the Waterfront" beyond their use as incidental background music. Regardless, the film is worth seeing for Cooper's bravura turn and Mulligan's quietly complementary work.
