45/47
Pablo Larraín Maria triumphs
Narrative
Maria Callas, the world’s greatest opera singer, lives out her final days in 1970s Paris, struggling with her identity and her life. Callas’s longtime companion Aristotle Onassis later married former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Kennedy was the subject of Pablo Larrain’s previous biopic, the 2016 film Jackie, starring Natalie Portman. Maria Kallas: Book me a table at a café where the waiters know who I am. I’m in the mood for praise. Close-up reference: Why do we need the Venice Film Festival? (2024). This film was everything I wanted and more, which is great since I love this unofficial series of films that Pablo has made. Something about them feels so innovative and different.
Classic, romantic, dark, beautiful
Of the three, Maria feels the most traditional: less subversive, less experimental. Even so, it doesn’t belong with any other biopic. Maria is grand and opulent, just like Spencer (and Jackie, in a way). It’s even bigger than its predecessors, though, but it’s often fresher, and for good reason. The atmosphere created by the storm was absolutely breathtaking. The sets and costumes were gorgeous. The cinematography was just as wonderful. And of course, the music. The orchestra soared in the theater.
Jolie couldn’t have been a better choice
It was often the music that evoked the most emotion in me and gave me the most chills. They succeeded. Angelina Jolie is of course the centerpiece of this film. I have to say that after Spencer, I really wanted Pablo to hold his own with Maria in the grand finale, simply because the first two were so great. As soon as Angelina was announced for the title role, I knew I was in good hands. This is instantly one of her best performances and the best I’ve seen all year. Up until now, the Academy has only recognized her for her more dramatic performances, but this one showed that she commands attention with subtlety just as much. Her character is constantly terrifying, but she never needs to scream to make you pay attention to every word that comes out of her mouth. To pull off that intimidation and embody such an iconic diva, they needed someone who could command any room herself.
Everything was perfect
This is one of the best comeback performances I’ve seen on screen. That final sequence blew me away. In my opinion, Jolie’s performance never overshadowed the other parts of this movie that we masterfully crafted. The writing was incredible – so witty, so clever, and often poetic. On the directing side, Pablo Larraín goes all out for this final installment of his trilogy. I really don’t have any marks. So many sequences were created to completely break you in the best way possible. His performance in this film cannot be praised enough. Ultimately, this trilogy brings out the actresses that star in it.
is the project you’ve been waiting for so long
However, with Maria, I understand that these performances are as much a vehicle for Larraín’s genius as they are a showcase for the actresses’ talents. The structure of this film had me on the verge of tears for most of the series. I couldn’t be happier with the film as a whole and how it concludes this trilogy with the references that tie the films together. As a fan, I especially appreciate the two scenes that tie Maria to Jackie. It kind of forces these works to come together in a somewhat formal way. By far the best film I’ve seen all year and my favorite film of the decade, it’s such a blessing to see. It definitely gave me a new love and appreciation for opera that I definitely didn’t have before. After that, I played the Opera All Night, for the first time.
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