The Plot: Paris, 1977. Famed opera singer Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie) is now in her 50s and hasn’t sung for several years. Paparazzi follow her around, wondering if she will ever sing again. She keeps them interested, saying that she goes to restaurants to be seen. Her only companions are her loyal butler Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino) and kindly housemaid Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher), who keep a watchful but respectful eye on her. When filmmaker Mandrax (Kodi Smit-McPhee) arrives to interview her, she finds herself reflecting on the past and her relationship with Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer)…
The Verdict: The Academy might want to start polishing up its Best Actress Oscar. While there have been many fine performances by women recently, from Mikey Madison in Anora to Demi Moore in The Substance, there’s an even stronger contender that has come to the fore: screen veteran Angelina Jolie in Maria. While Jolie had been absent from screens since 2021’s unfairly maligned Eternals, she makes a triumphant return with her own unique take on opera singer Maria Callas. While there have been documentaries about ‘La Callas’, a film biopic has long been in development. At one stage the now-retired Eva Mendes was going to take on the role, but that fell through. So, it’s been left to Jolie and director Pablo Larrain to take on Callas with their own project. It can be best described as the last, writhing contortions of a dying swan – but one that dies beautifully in tone with the heavenly music she sang.
Chilean maestro Larrain had already built up a solid reputation in arthouse circles before branching out into English-language features. Maria is the last in his ‘Lady With Heels’ trilogy, the other two being Jackie and Spencer. It recounts the last days of Callas as she swans about Paris, reinforcing her diva image to the public but also hinting at a deep sadness within her to an interviewer. She’s writing an autobiography, though it seems to exist more in thoughts than words on a page. Her health is failing and she’s becoming increasingly fragile. There’s a sense of enigma about Callas throughout, with Steven Knight’s script hinting at just enough of the woman, the lover, the opera singer within two hours that it doesn’t come across as just scratching the surface. There’s plenty of insight in the script here, from her tender relationship with longtime companion Onassis, to the way she struggles to find her voice again, to lashing out at fans who criticise her for cancelling shows. And yet, there’s much left unsaid here which makes her such an interesting character.
The film is structured in three acts and an epilogue with Larrain framing Callas through different perspectives, complete with a film clapperboard between each act for a theatrical touch. Each act offers character progression, while also allowing for other voices to enter the frame. Perhaps most touchingly, it’s the two servants who live with her in a Parisian apartment that become the key supporting characters. They have no ulterior motives. Viewing the film through their eyes at times has the effect of humanising Callas into a vulnerable woman rather than, say, a cold and distant celebrity detached from the societal mothership. Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher do sterling work here and nearly steal the film. Ultimately, this is Jolie’s film though and being the first and only choice for Larrain she delivers a highly refined performance that captures the poise, wit and ambition of the lady herself. It’s an interpretation, not an imitation and is all the better for it.
Beyond Jolie’s performance, there’s much to admire about Maria. It’s handsomely mounted across several European locations and features music from across Callas’ career. It’s the most impressive of Larrain’s trilogy. The director taps further into his subject, digging deep and coming up with a satisfying film – narratively, musically, emotionally – that captures the essence of La Callas and why her reputation still stands tall today.
Rating: 4 / 5
Review by Gareth O’Connor
In short: Swan song
Directed by Pablo Larrain.
Starring Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Haluk Bilginer.