Alan in Belfast: Maestro – the extraordinary portrayal of an extraordinary couple (QFT until 7 December before Netflix release on 20 December)

The act of sitting with a notepad and a pen in hand ready to scribble in the dark already slightly distracts from the normal audience experience. For film previews, the early morning start complete with rush hour traffic and parking frustrations adds commotion to what filmmakers intend to be a relaxing luxury night out in front of the silver screen.

Every now and again, a movie comes along that makes you forget about what else is going on in life. The performances enthral, the storytelling consumes your mental bandwidth, the music captures a mood, and you’re taken to a different place for a couple of hours.

Maestro is one of those films. The word ‘extraordinary’ comes to mind. I don’t attach stars to reviews, but if I did, Maestro would have the maximum number available. Bradley Cooper looms large over the film, a hugely positive influence on its success. He’s playing Leonard Bernstein, as well as directing and credited as co-writer with Josh Singer. While the film’s title and early scenes revolve around the chain-smoking musical genius, the balance changes over time and Maestro becomes as much about the experience of Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan) as her better-known musical husband.

Montealegre is never seen to play second fiddle to Bernstein. She enjoys him, accepts him, and for a long time doesn’t seek to change him. If Cooper’s Bernstein is ebullient and driven, Mulligan’s Montealegre is tolerant and resilient. Over time they become visibly and emotionally out of sync. Bernstein was given huge freedom by his wife but was unable to use it responsibly. Exploring their complex relationship – which they attempted to hide from their children – is one of the main drivers of the film’s appeal.

The next most significant aspect is the music. The vast majority of the soundtrack features pieces written by Bernstein, underscoring dialogue and setting the emotional temperature of scenes. Cooper is seen conducting the London Symphony Orchestra for six enchanting minutes as the flamboyant Bernstein in an incredible scene that precedes a pivotal emotional change in the narrative. Captured live in long takes, there’s a sense of authenticity familiar from Cooper’s earlier performance in A Star is Born.

Matthew Libatique’s cinematography captures beautifully lit scenes in black and white, and unfussily switches to colour for later periods. Impossible shots drifting through buildings or switching location mid-pan are never showy demonstrations of special effects, just brave storytelling decisions by editor Michelle Tesoro that pay off. Maestro deserves to win significant awards for the two lead actors and many of the crafts that make the film a success.

Bernstein had a multi-hyphenated career as a public extrovert performer and a private introvert composer. A great American conductor who brought his vision to old classics. But also someone who wrote new musical theatre (which some deemed not to be “serious”). And a music educator who embraced the power of television.

“I want a lot of things” is a line of dialogue that sums up more than just Bernstein’s creative urges. Cooper conveys a man who was impetuous, last minute, talked over people, had a nervous disposition and took huge risks with how he lived his life. By the end of the film we witness a calmer individual who has learned to sacrifice, to be more loyal (perhaps not ever fully), and to better understand his own strengths and weaknesses. The conclusion is painfully sad.

Much has been written and opined over Cooper’s use of a prosthetic nose to better mirror Bernstein’s appearance and whether a Jewish actor should have been cast to play Bernstein. I’d sensitively suggest that the slight disguising of Cooper’s own readily recognisable features – it’s pretty subtle and changes to age the conductor from his mid-20s to his early-70s as the film goes on – assists in drawing the audience away from the star actor and thrusts them deeper into the film’s rich story.

Maestro has been given a brief theatrical release by its distributor Netflix before being released on the streaming platform on 20 December. See it in a cinema if you can. A big screen and proper sound system makes such a difference. And if you do watch it at home, turn the volume up loud and set your phone down. You can catch screenings of Maestro at the Queen’s Film Theatre until Thursday 7 December.