Maria Movie Review: Angelina Jolie unveils an elegant and ethereal rendition of iconic opera singer, Maria Callas' last days
Maria Movie Review: Critics Rating: 3.5 stars, click to give your rating/review,'Maria' is the final film in Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain's trilogy of biographies, the earlier t
Critic's Rating: 3.5/5
Story: This biographical, psychological drama walks through the last few days of legendary opera singer Maria Callas' life.
Review: "Book me a table at a café where the waiters know who I am. I'm in the mood for adulation." In her final days, when Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie) desperately tries to recreate the magic her voice once unleashed - transfixing audiences in packed opera houses - it is painfully evident that it has no longer holds the same power and quality. Yet she resolutely holds on to her majestic aura.
'Maria' is the final film in Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain's trilogy of biographies, the earlier two being 'Spencer' (2021) that reflected on Princess Diana's life and tragic death and 'Jackie' (2016) on Jackie Onassis. However, 'Maria' is not so much a biography as much as it is a stage to showcase her essence and flamboyance as the iconic American-Greek soprano, whose repertoire remains unmatched and a reimagination of her final days.
As Maria, now a recluse, is interviewed by Mandrax (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a journalist making a documentary on her, the film within the film start to mirror each other. While the two walk through the pristine streets of Paris, recounting her glory days, glimpses of Maria’s tumultuous life and illustrious career spill out in stunning black and white frames. We see flashes of a troubled childhood, when she is forced into singing by her mother, followed by a meteoric climb to her glorious opera singing days when she takes centre-stage to mesmerise an enthralled audience. Her meeting with Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer) at a party and the rocky, scandalous romance that follows.
Ironically, mandrax is the pill she is addicted to and the journalist who she spends hours talking to, a figment of her imagination even as she maintains her diva-like persona right till the end. Her other companions include her housekeeper, Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher) and her butler, Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino) who try hard to control her addictions and are perhaps the only audience of her attempted arias. She also often visits composer Jeffrey Tate (Stephen Ashfield), who at this point could also be a hallucination, to see if her vocal chords can manage a final performance on stage. And there is a brusque interaction with her sister (Valeria Golino) at a local café. But other than that, Maria is pretty much on her own in her spacious Paris apartment, refusing to heed to her doctor’s advice on her ailing health. Adamant to follow her heart right to the end.
Angelina Jolie plays Maria Callas with flair and restraint, effortlessly exhibiting her magnetic aura. The narrative ensures that the melancholy and mystery attached to her remains intact, with film not delving much into the details of her life. Which is perhaps also what makes the film somewhat of a stretch once the mood has settled in.
However, Angelina Jolie’s elegant and ethereal rendition of Maria Callas, the compelling music (Jolie’s voice mixed with original tracks by Callas) and the exquisite cinematography that brings alive Paris of the 70s and the grand opera settings of Maria Callas’ prima donna days, is what sets this Pablo Larrain film apart. Like the diva puts it "There is no life away from the stage".
Review: "Book me a table at a café where the waiters know who I am. I'm in the mood for adulation." In her final days, when Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie) desperately tries to recreate the magic her voice once unleashed - transfixing audiences in packed opera houses - it is painfully evident that it has no longer holds the same power and quality. Yet she resolutely holds on to her majestic aura.
'Maria' is the final film in Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain's trilogy of biographies, the earlier two being 'Spencer' (2021) that reflected on Princess Diana's life and tragic death and 'Jackie' (2016) on Jackie Onassis. However, 'Maria' is not so much a biography as much as it is a stage to showcase her essence and flamboyance as the iconic American-Greek soprano, whose repertoire remains unmatched and a reimagination of her final days.
As Maria, now a recluse, is interviewed by Mandrax (Kodi Smit-McPhee), a journalist making a documentary on her, the film within the film start to mirror each other. While the two walk through the pristine streets of Paris, recounting her glory days, glimpses of Maria’s tumultuous life and illustrious career spill out in stunning black and white frames. We see flashes of a troubled childhood, when she is forced into singing by her mother, followed by a meteoric climb to her glorious opera singing days when she takes centre-stage to mesmerise an enthralled audience. Her meeting with Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer) at a party and the rocky, scandalous romance that follows.
Ironically, mandrax is the pill she is addicted to and the journalist who she spends hours talking to, a figment of her imagination even as she maintains her diva-like persona right till the end. Her other companions include her housekeeper, Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher) and her butler, Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino) who try hard to control her addictions and are perhaps the only audience of her attempted arias. She also often visits composer Jeffrey Tate (Stephen Ashfield), who at this point could also be a hallucination, to see if her vocal chords can manage a final performance on stage. And there is a brusque interaction with her sister (Valeria Golino) at a local café. But other than that, Maria is pretty much on her own in her spacious Paris apartment, refusing to heed to her doctor’s advice on her ailing health. Adamant to follow her heart right to the end.
Angelina Jolie plays Maria Callas with flair and restraint, effortlessly exhibiting her magnetic aura. The narrative ensures that the melancholy and mystery attached to her remains intact, with film not delving much into the details of her life. Which is perhaps also what makes the film somewhat of a stretch once the mood has settled in.
However, Angelina Jolie’s elegant and ethereal rendition of Maria Callas, the compelling music (Jolie’s voice mixed with original tracks by Callas) and the exquisite cinematography that brings alive Paris of the 70s and the grand opera settings of Maria Callas’ prima donna days, is what sets this Pablo Larrain film apart. Like the diva puts it "There is no life away from the stage".
