LONDON: Before it had been released, many of the early headlines about “Maestro” were concerned with the prosthetic nose worn by writer, director and star Bradley Cooper in his portrayal of luminary musician and conductor Leonard Bernstein. Looking back, such a fixation seems utterly bewildering in the wider context of this sweeping, wonderfully exhausting film. B chooses to focus his film on Bernstein’s relationship with actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn (Carey Mulligan), following the pair from first meet-cute, through Bernstein’s rise to stardom, to their eventual tumultuous separation and reconciliation. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle For a movie with such obvious Oscar credentials, Cooper actually makes some fascinating directorial choices. Rather than simply charting Bernstein’s entire life, from early inspiration and familial pressure to career breakthrough and professional milestones, Cooper instead focuses in on Leonard and Felicia — framing Bernstein’s wider brilliance through a lens that paints him as a hard man to love, despite (or perhaps because of) his talent and charisma. And it’s here that “Maestro” really excels — not least because, in Mulligan, Cooper has a co-star and on-screen foil that is easily his (and Leonard’s) equal. In fact, it’s no surprise that Mulligan gets top billing during the film’s end credits. In addition, and despite its trailer, Cooper hasn’t shot “Maestro” solely in black and white. In fact, he wields color and monochrome as tools, also shooting parts of the movie in different aspect ratios. And while this can err on the side of pretentious, it also serves as a sort of stylistic barometer for where we are at any given point of Bernstein’s story. But it goes deeper than that too: During the early, halcyon days of their relationship, Leonard and Felicia’s dialog is snappy, upbeat and light – much like the romantic comedies of the 1940s and 50s. As their relationship (and its complexity) deepens, the movie swells and slows, with more grit and realism in the performances, score and sound. It’s actually quite remarkable to watch unfold, even as it’s hard to watch Cooper’s committed portrayal show more of the conflicted genius in a man whose career is characterized by such joy.