My Rating: 3.89/4 (aka Must see)

One line summary: The life and loves of celebrated conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein.

The Deets: So this guy Bradley Cooper knows what he’s doing. This is a very very good movie (almost great) that I am still thinking about / re-playing in my head the next day. Cooper stars and directs, just as he did with his remake of “A Star is Born” (if you haven’t seen that one, it’s also a must). I don’t want to compare the two, but both are about deep, dark, complex male musicians and their wives. This part is far more challenging for Cooper, and it’s easily his greatest acting performance (will he beat out Cillian Murphy for the best actor Oscar?! He probably should.) Carey Mulligan as his longtime love is also sublime, dare I say pitch perfect. And this is a true cinematic achievement – we get long takes, tight frames, a gorgeous black and white screen filled with smoke, and a story told as much by the camera as the actors speaking their flowing, often overlapped dialogue. And yet, there is something ever so slightly forced, or exploratory, about the direction, as though Cooper is not entirely assured in his style (somehow “A Star is Born” felt more confident or comfortable); there are many moments of brilliance, and I will be re-watching it for sure.

Perfect for: Any classical music fan, and especially if you already know and love Bernstein. But also if you love a great, complicated love story.

Where to watch: Netflix scores again.

Food pairing: For some odd reason I think you need a big bowl of grapes or cherries.