Maria

Pablo Larraín caps off his biopic trilogy of famously troubled 20^th-century women with Maria starring Angelina Jolie, a striking account of the life and death of American-born Greek opera legend Maria Callas. In keeping with tradition, framed around interview retrospections and hallucinations of past afflictions, it boasts another impeccable illustration of historical grandeur; a visual feast of picturesque set pieces and exquisite costuming, on par with Spencer and Jackie.

Maria is a reimagining of Callas’s final days in 1970s Paris. Surrounded by the warm hues of autumnal city streets, baroque opera house interiors and her own luxury apartment, the diva soprano reflects on her former glory years. She strives to find her voice again, literally and figuratively, as her health deteriorates due to prescription drug abuse. Sound also plays an unsurprising lead role in the shining spectacle. It excels in a cinema auditorium, for singing scenes, a roaring blend of Jolie’s voice and original recordings of “La Callas” in her prime.

Like the icon she depicts on-screen, Jolie never lacks confidence in a portrayal just as grand as the scenery that encircles her. Egocentric and domineering with a sense of foreboding, she fulfils the prima donna quota, commanding vignettes of vulnerability when appropriate. Larraín intertwines the majority of these colourful moments with surreal black-and-white flashbacks of Callas in her younger years. It’s a neat approach to communicate traumas of love and loss, although it comes across more “style over substance” than perhaps intended.

Despite its merits, even Jolie’s spellbinding presentation of the title role is not enough to distract from unremarkable storytelling efforts. In many ways, this film is reminiscent of Andrew Dominik’s Blonde – expository montages, grain, glamour. Split into four poetic acts, Maria is committed to matching the anatomy of an opera, but lacks the emotional gravitas of Larraín’s stronger self-contained explorations of female psychosis. It manages to condense the story of its main subject, leaving plenty of untapped potential to dive deeper into milestone events, along with the fascinating lives of those who orbit Callas’s circle – notably, her loyal butler Ferruccio Mezzadri (Pierfrancesco Favino), and housemaid Bruna Lupoli (Alba Rohrwacher).

In a sea of best music biopics, Maria fits comfortably among braver, bolder narrative standouts. Yet, flaws and all, it is still indeed a riveting watch, not least for the magnitude of its production and performances.

Douglas Jardim

Maria is released nationwide on 10^th January 2025.

Watch the trailer for Maria here: