Although he may never deliver an aria at La Scala, there is nothing pointing to a bleak future for Jolie, given her resilience with tranquilizers. Angelina Jolie stands out as a perfect choice to embody Maria Callas. Few actresses are as closely scrutinized as Jolie, and her familiarity with the intense glare of fame mirrors Callas’ own vertigo of stardom. The parallels help illuminate the charged dynamic surrounding the project. Jolie has spent time at the center of the Maria biopic, a role that marks not only a return to meaningful acting but a strengthening milestone in her career. “I needed time with family,” Jolie explained at the Venice Film Festival, where the film competes for acclaim. “And because of that time, I feel even more grateful to have the chance to be part of this creative world.”
Let it be noted that Maria is the concluding entry in Pablo Larraín’s trilogy honoring famous women of the twentieth century. The director previously cast Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy in Jackie (2016) and Kristen Stewart as Diana in Spencer (2021). In Maria, he recreates the Paris days of the soprano just before her death in September 1977, largely confined to her home, pursued by fame, and still grappling with an addiction to medication, a symptom of a deeper hunger for admiration. The struggle is set against a shadow of a difficult past, including a mother who faced exploitation and a tumultuous relationship with a businessman. Aristotle Onassis, who would ultimately leave her for Kennedy, haunts the narrative as the loss of Callas’s precious instrument, her voice, seems almost unbearable.
The collaboration between Jolie and the Chilean director is marked by a tender reverence for the central figure and for the actress portraying her. The camera captures Callas with a warmth that radiates through close-ups, following her performance with a sense of devotion. The scenes evoke Tosca and La Traviata, where a voice strains for beauty even as pills are swallowed and the human voice falters under the pressure of stardom.
Structurally, a Maria Callas biopic could unfold in operatic fashion, and Larraín seems inclined to honor that impulse. Maria unfolds in three acts plus an epilogue, weaving musical interludes that trace the arc of the protagonist while guiding viewers through moments that resemble dramatic scenes performed on the stage of great opera houses. The aim appears to be to transform Callas into a living transcription of those high moments in tragedy.
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So why does the film lack the spark that might move audiences and heighten the emotional intensity typical of opera. Perhaps the blend of flashbacks, dreamlike sequences, and vocal fragments makes the narrative feel repetitive or overly cerebral. It seems the director favors a contemplative approach over a straightforward dramatic drive, which can leave the central story feeling disjointed at times.
The strongest impression of Maria comes from Jolie’s acting, a quality that resonates despite the film’s stylistic choices. The top contenders in previous Larraín projects have earned recognition for their performances. In Jackie and Spencer, Portman and Stewart earned Oscar consideration for their transformations. Jolie’s performance in Maria has attracted similar expectations, and it is easy to imagine her securing nominations alongside her prior peers. Cited: The Guardian