Angelina Jolie delivers a magnificent performance in Pablo Larraín’s otherwise flawed biopic. Here’s our Maria review.
Opera singer Maria Callas was a complicated woman. An old-fashioned diva, the kind that doesn’t exist anymore and, most importantly, a talented, transcendent singer. Callas fits organically into director Pablo Larraín’s trilogy of portraits of famous women who silently struggled in the public eye. Following Jackie and Spencer, Maria attempts to crack the woman many of us knew of, but didn’t really understand.
Maria follows Callas through the final days of her life as the diva lives in isolation in Paris. She spits orders at her loyal servants, demanding them to move the piano from room to room. She’s never quite satisfied with the state of things, it seems. The arrival of a documentary crew and Callas’ attempts to revive her singing voice add to her restlessness even more, throwing her personal life into a slowly unfolding disarray.
Jolie is remarkable, but the surrounding film fails to reach her standard of nuance and detail. Unless you’re already familiar with Callas’ life, you’re likely to walk away having learned little or gained much insight into her. She remains an elusive presence – one that feels too big for a single film to contain.
Larraín’s storytelling moves at a leisurely pace and for those seeking a high-stakes drama with big, emotional bursts might find themselves bored. Larraín struggles to find the definitive story of Callas’ final years, switching between Callas’ voice troubles – which feels like the film’s heart and soul – and the documentary crew’s efforts to make a coherent narrative about her. Then again, the crew is likely just a figment of Callas’ imagination as her mental state becomes increasingly fragile, though Larraín never seems to commit to the idea. And if the director can’t commit to his own film, how can we be expected to latch on?
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Jolie gives the role her all, and it’s by far the most impressive performance from the actor in a long time. Even if his direction waivers elsewhere, Larraín proves he’s still an excellent actor’s director, nudging Jolie towards greatness. Even if the film around her doesn’t quite come together, Jolie’s take on an iconic diva is classy and magnetic, but she’s not afraid to dig into the messier side of Callas.
Just like Jackie and Spencer before, Maria looks lavish and phenomenal. There’s a richness to its production design and visuals that’s missing from the script. If Jackie and Spencer observed their subjects facing loneliness in the midst of crowds, Maria portrays its lead as a voluntary hermit, imprisoned in a luxurious cage of her own making. Even if the narrative arc and themes of Maria feel slightly undeveloped, it’s a film that overwhelms and almost devours you with its visuals. It’s hard to resist a film this beautiful. Larraín has opted to focus more on the world he creates around Callas and his efforts pay off magnificently, even if it is at the cost of the character herself.
Ultimately, Callas isn’t a very empathetic character and the film itself doesn’t seem too interested in finding out why. Unlikable women on the big screen are fascinating and we need more of them, but Callas proves to be a tough nut to crack. Just as she pushes away those close to her, Larraín pushes away the audience and their attempts to understand Callas’ pain. Maria is lovely to watch and the singer’s voice remains incredible, but ultimately it feels a bit like shouting into the void and not hearing anything back.
Maria is in UK cinemas 10th January.
