Five years ago, Bradley Cooper made his directorial debut with “A Star Is Born.” He poured a lot of soul into the endeavor, emerging with not only a hit movie, but a feature that carried pop culture for a few moments, and dominated the music scene. It was a film with many flaws, but Cooper had passion for the project, and its cinematic potential was something to see. He returns with an even fiercer understanding of creative and romantic life with “Maestro,” which isn’t a bio-pic of composer Leonard Bernstein, but a portrait of behavior and musical mastery, also delivering an inspection of marital challenges and sexual needs. It’s all over the place, but that’s what Cooper wants from the effort, which follows the patterns of Bernstein’s volatile orchestral achievements, exploring sudden surges of emotion and inspiration as the conductor tried and often failed to exert control over his own domestic life. “Maestro” is gorgeously made, but much like “A Star Is Born,” the dramatic value of the picture often trails its incredible craftsmanship. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com