A star was born in Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut, and that star has matured into a force of nature in his sophomore feature, the Leonard Bernstein biopic, Maestro. The depth of beauty runs deep throughout the film’s 129-minute runtime, as Cooper offers audiences a richly observed panoramic portrait of a misunderstood artist whose music contributed to some of the most unforgettable scores of all time. Starring as the multi-hyphenated conductor/composer himself, Bradley Cooper’s ability to capture magic both onscreen and off is a sight–and sound–to behold. Move over Lydia Tár, there’s a new maestro in town.

The biographical drama serves as a character study of Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) at five different pivotal stages in his life. Spanning 25 years young to 71 years old, the film’s primary focus isn’t solely centered around musical achievements or performances. Rather, audiences embark on a decades-long love story between the flighty Bernstein and the grounded and mature love of his life, actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). The film weaves through their lighthearted honeymoon phase with a stoic black-and-white color grade. Signaling a sense of reminiscence for the past, nearly half of the film is portrayed in black and white. During this time period, both Bernstein and Montealegre’s careers accelerate, albeit at different paces and scales, and signs of tomfoolery on Leonard’s behalf become apparent. We learn that Leonard, prior to marrying Felicia, had been in a relationship with a man (Matt Bomer) and his attraction to men is still very much being acted upon. This creates a growing conflict within their relationship, and an internal explosion within Felicia is embodied in the film as it visually transforms into color.

The couple’s intricate and complicated relationship dynamic fills the second half of the film, which is now portrayed in stunning color. Family, friends, instruments, and cigarettes come in and out of every scene, it is fully captivating both visually and musically. The film’s sudden color switch causes our eyes and ears to perk up with the expectation that something big will be coming, and oh boy, does it deliver. In perhaps one of the finest musical scenes I’ve ever witnessed in a movie, Bradley Cooper takes the stage near the end of the film’s third act and gives the performance of a lifetime. His embodiment of Leonard Bernstein conducting a full orchestra and choir in a six-minute stunning one-take had chills running down both of my legs. Taking place in an equally beautiful old church, the grand concerto comes to a dramatic end, and the audience I was sitting with erupted into rapturous applause, myself included. I think we collectively forgot that this is a movie and not a full-bodied, 3-D experience accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra. It was a moment that resonated with me more than any other film moment this year.

The craftwork that makes up Maestro is impeccable, from the costumes to the makeup and prosthetics used to portray Bernstein’s later years. The richness and nuanced characteristics are captured by the master of photography, Matthew Libatique, in stunning detail. Playing to the strengths of both the black and white and color, Libatique brings the man and the music to life. Further reviving the virtuoso’s story is the score, which were all instrumental works pulled from the Bernstein archives.

On the performance front, Bradley Cooper fully transforms into Leonard Bernstein and at times, it’s easy to forget that this isn’t a documentary. His speech pattern and his physical performance are magnetic, it’s hard to look at anyone else when he’s on screen. That’s not to say Carey Mulligan isn’t also a dynamic force, but her strength comes from a more subtle place. The opportunity to explore Leonard and Felicia’s yin/yang personalities–independent of and with each other–is an actor’s playground. There is so much material to devour yet Cooper and Mulligan never let the combative and unpredictable nature of the Bernsteins’ relationship feel forced or unnecessarily fraught.

Maestro is the result of a finely tuned synchronicity from all sides. Performance, direction, aesthetics, and craft all contribute to this monumental work of art. Some may be baffled to hear that the musical component of Bernstein’s legacy plays second fiddle to his complicated love story, but rest assured, there is no shortage of awe-inducing moments that will have you whispering “wow” from under your breath. Maestro hits all the right notes and then some.