With how the film landscape has shaped this year, seeing a biopic involving opera was a relief. The art form is often under-appreciated yet tends to seep into everyday life. From film soundtracks to children’s cartoons, operas can set moods and invoke emotions.
In our early days of the magazine, we featured performances by the Atlanta Opera from time to time. Pieces like Don Quixote and The Flying Dutchman were faves of readers early on. On a handful of occasions, Atlanta even welcomed opera royalty in the form of Andrea Bocelli. Countless others have contributed to the genre, including legends like Luciano Pavarotti and Leontyne Price. But one of the most talented and ostentatious of famed sopranos was Maria Callas, an American-Greek who was regarded as one of the most iconic performers of the 20th century.
The film takes place during the opera star’s final days before her death. After a glamorous and often tumultuous life in the eye of the public, Callas resides in Paris with her maid Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher) and her assistant Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino). Director Pablo Larrain’s reimagining of the opera singer dazzles in some areas and fizzles in others, in an attempt to pay homage to the legendary soprano.
It would’ve been a more impactful film had it not been so obvious that Jolie was lip-syncing. For such a role, it would’ve boded well for Larrain had an actual soprano with an acting résumé been cast. But aside from the singing portions (which were many), Jolie nails the diva mannerisms of Callas. Her behaviors would show that of a woman who does what she feels like. Sometimes it would be singing when she shouldn’t, others would be hiding medicine that she felt dependent on. In a hilarious but apt double entendre, Jolie played a prima donna to the T.
It’s been a busy year for Kodi Smit-McPhee. The Aussie actor was featured in two films and a TV series this year and has proved himself a valuable investment. He lent his voice in Memoir of a Snail, starred in an amazing Apple TV+ series alongside Sascha Baron Cohen and Cate Blanchett in Disclaimer, and now ends the year as Mandrax in Maria.
As the love interest that lured Callas away from her first husband, Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer) was every bit of an upper-echelon playboy. A man who definitely ran with top brass, Onassis had a special connection with Callas that was portrayed beautiful onscreen by Bilginer. His voice, mannerisms, and overall charisma made him stand out from the rest of the cast. If that last name looks familiar it’s because he later married Jacqueline Kennedy.
Maria gets an 8 out of 10. The film’s trailer was far more powerful than the film. There were many times when Larrain was reaching for emotion but never found it. The film’s slow, sluggish pace might have audiences checking their watches. It’s nothing to rush to the theatre for unless you’re a fan of opera. But even then with the film’s tapered pace, you might regret not watching it from the comfort of your couch.
Maria premieres in select theaters on November 27, 2024, and goes to Netflix on December 11, 2024.
-Jon Jones
Photos: Courtesy of Netflix
Genre: Musical/Drama
Rating: R
Runtime: 124 minutes
Trailer: Watch
U.S. Release Date: November 17, 2024