28/10
I want to be adored
Maria Callas, the world’s greatest opera singer, spends her final days in 1970s Paris, grappling with her identity and her life. Angelina Jolie and director Pablo Larraín discuss how they connected to the heartbreaking true story of world-famous opera singer Maria Callas. The third and final film in Pablo Larraín’s so-called Lady in Heels trilogy featuring women, following Jackie (2016) and Spencer (2021). Maria Callas: Book me a table at a café where the waiters know who I am. Mentioned in Close-Up: Why Do We Need the Venice Film Festival?
I didn’t expect to like “Maria,” but I did
(2024). Otello, Act 4: “Ave Maria” (Desdémona) Performed by Maria Callas, Conservatory Concert Society Orchestra Conductor: Nicola Rescigno Screenplay: Giuseppe Verdi, Arrigo Boito Released by Warner Classics, (p) 1964 Parlophone Records Limited Remastered 2014 Parlophone Records Limited Courtesy of Warner Music Group Germany Holding GmbH, a Warner Music Group company. I enjoyed much of the film (especially the scenes with JFK, Onassis, and Jackie Kennedy). I really appreciated hearing the real Maria Callas sing famous arias (even though I’m not really an opera fan). I thought Angelina Jolie was excellent in the role of the wounded and damaged diva who, despite her bitterness toward the people who love and serve her, somehow magically gained my empathy.
The movie does get a little heavy
I thought the limited lip-synced close-ups of the calla lilies were a great choice. We know Jolie can’t sing, and the movie didn’t try to fool us into thinking she could. Finally, the way the viewer never really knew what was “real” instead of being Maria’s hallucination allowed the movie to delve into the diva’s past without long stretches of expository dialogue. A little. But overall, the scenes are well-timed, and if one felt too slow, we were quickly rewarded with another that kept our interest.
Did I love “Maria”?
No. Is it for “everyone”? No, again. But it does shine a light on an icon I knew little about. An icon more vulnerable than I thought.
And one who earned and retained my empathy
No need to waste time on endless scrolling—here’s the full list of new movies and TV shows coming to Netflix this month.