In local news… is Bradley Cooper's everything-and-the-kitchen-sink portrayal of Leonard Bernstein the biggest danger to Cillian Murphy's Oscar chances as Robert Oppenheimer? Maestro suggests so.
Murphy is out in front for his icily brilliant turn, but an American actor-turned-filmmaker directing himself as a towering figure in stage and screen culture - who never won an Oscar - and physically transforming for the part is nothing if not catnip for Academy Award voters. Now, for how many?
The other big question is whether you should see Maestro in cinemas or wait for its arrival on Netflix on 20 December. In terms of spectacle, it's not a big-screen must, but do try to free an afternoon or evening for this biopic somewhere before 1 January. It will make for a quality two hours during the precious time ahead.
Here, Cooper gives the Sigmund Freud gem "Love and work… work and love, that's all there is" its latest close-up as he tells the story of conductor and composer Bernstein's marriage to Felicia Montealegre - superbly played by Carey Mulligan in arguably her best performance to date.
Montealegre was a celebrated actress whose career took a backseat to Bernstein's. That was the work part; the love part was further complicated by the fact that Bernstein had relationships with men during their 27-year marriage.
The messiness of all the above is deftly handled by Cooper in only his second film as a director, the first being 2018's A Star is Born. Ironically, while Maestro is his passion project behind and in front of the lens, it becomes Mulligan's movie, stunningly so towards the close. Fair play to Cooper for giving the viewer the chance to have that opinion.
From black and white to colour, breathless set-pieces to blazing rows (one of the scenes of this or any year), Maestro crams a lot into two hours. It's a little choppy in places and Cooper badly rushes the ending, but the film still manages to do justice to both its subjects - their children agree. It will have you making a beeline for the headphones afterwards and you will also want to know more about Felicia Montealegre.
Maestro is in selected cinemas and on Netflix now.
