I adore Leonard Bernstein's music, regard him as the epitome of sensible communication and education about classical music, and believe (although I never saw him in the flesh) that he was a brilliant conductor. However, he was a rubbish husband and family man. This new film focuses on Bernstein's relationship with his wife, Felicia Montealegre, and the ups and downs of their marriage over 27 years until her early death due to lung cancer in 1978. Bernstein was a homosexual, had numerous affairs with men both before and during his marriage, and wherever he went he craved attention, attracting lots of hangers-on. Bradley Cooper puts on a brilliant portrayal of Maestro Bernstein and the film evokes wonderfully the 1940s-early 1980s during which Bernstein was active. Cooper is aged with fantastic makeup, and the early year scenes are shot in black and white giving terrific atmosphere. Bernstein remained a terrible flirt until the end of his life, as the final part of the film, with him giving a masterclass in Tanglewood in 1987, make very clear. The re-creation of Bernstein conducting Mahler's Resurrection Symphony in the famous 1973 performance at Ely Cathedral was worth the price of admission alone. My favourite film of the year.

Warwick Arts Centre Cinema.