Pablo Larraín writes and directs a little-known story about Maria Callas, a renowned opera singer, as she lives out her final days in Paris. Angelina Jolie stars in this complicated role, finding her own voice, literally, to portray this strong yet vulnerable icon in musical history.
Maria, donning bottle-top thick glasses, seems a prisoner of her own home. Her butler, Ferruccio (Pierfancesco Favino), and housemaid Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher) are more than their titles, providing the kindness and friendship to this lonely woman looking at what lies in her very near future. Popping pills and lying about the quantity, Maria listlessly wanders through her home, perhaps attempting to take the edge off the pain she feels. We ask ourselves, is this physical or emotional pain?
We find out the answer to this question as we are transported back in time; a time where Maria ruled the world of opera, adored by all including Aristotle Onassis. The sordid history of the era punctuates the complexities Maria endured as we learn of the unspeakable situations she and her sister endured. The music with its emotion underscore her pain, allowing Maria to share her past without uttering a word.
We witness both Maria’s physical and mental deterioration as she is “interviewed” by Mandrax (Kodi Smit-McPhee). His name is the same as her medication; a telling sign of what’s real and what’s not. These interviews allow us to better know this legend…she’s at the top of her mountain, alone but held up by the two who know her best; Bruna and Ferruccio. Ferruccio who for some reason is always asked to move the piano to different positions throughout the course of the story, provides some levity and together, with drama and a touch of this comedy, we feel the love, the love of a chosen family.
The film itself is stunningly gorgeous thanks to Edward Lachman’s cinematic prowess. Using what feels like grainy film to take us back in time or capture the elegance and beauty of romantic Paris, we are transported in time and place. The cinematography is as sensual as the singing itself, evoking, at times, inexplicable emotion.
Jolie’s performance is a “stoic” one as both she and Larrain said in an interview at the New York Film Festival recently. Her voice, blended with the real Callas’s recordings to varying percentages, is powerful. The skill with which she dives into the role is admirable, however, she doesn’t allow viewers in to see the vulnerability of this character. Callas is portrayed with a tough exterior that just doesn’t crack or break enough to give us an emotional connection with her. Where we do get that connection is with Rohrwacher and Favino’s performances which ground the film. We needed more of that to better understand Callas.
Cinematically, this is a breath-taking film. Most of us don’t know Maria Callas and her story and thanks to Larraín , we are intrigued by this operatic wonder of the mid-1900’s.
3 Stars
