As a seasoned movie critic with a penchant for biopics that delve deep into the complexities of human resilience, I must say that Maria, directed by Pablo Larraín and starring Angelina Jolie, is an absolute masterpiece. This film is not just a testament to the life of Italian opera singer Maria Callas, but also a poignant reflection of Jolie’s own journey as an artist.
The biographical movie titled Maria, helmed by Pablo Larraín and featuring Angelina Jolie, is steadily rising in Netflix’s Top 10 list. This film delves into the final years of Maria Callas, the renowned Italian opera singer, as she navigates her life in Paris with her butler Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino) and housemaid Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher). Together, they grapple with her deteriorating health, substance abuse, and ensuing hallucinations.
In a self-interview-like manner, Maria contemplates her personal journey, occasionally amending her words for authenticity. As Jolie explained on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Kimmel”, Maria’s narrative strategy resembles conversing with her drugs, and the story unfolds in a way that mirrors operatic tragedies, where the main character experiences suffering due to their own actions.
Getting to Know Maria Callas
As a film enthusiast, I found myself deeply moved by my chat with Larraín for Vogue, where Jolie spoke of the inspiration she drew from Callas’ resilience in the face of unkind journalists and public scrutiny. “There’s something incredibly powerful about seeing someone standing tall amidst adversity,” she shared with me. “And those are the kind of individuals I admire. I see that quality in her. In interviews, despite some truly appalling comments and questions, or even having objects hurled at her, Callas would maintain her composure.
In studying Callas, Jolie found herself deeply moved by the solitary existence she led. What touched Jolie most was the lack of affection and normal childhood experiences in Callas’s life, as she faced tremendous professional responsibilities at a young age. Speaking to Larraín for Vogue, Jolie expressed that if she could convey one message to Callas, it would be about her newfound admiration and concern for Callas as a person, and her desire to spend a carefree night together like old friends.
In an appearance on The Tonight Show, the lead actress of Girl, Interrupted admitted to undergoing extensive vocal training due to her recognition that faking opera was not possible. Through these lessons, it was discovered that Jolie possesses a soprano voice, which she had previously been unaware of because her natural speaking voice is lighter than she thought. Jolie told Vogue that she might have suppressed this softness for years. Despite devoting seven months to practice, Jolie remained uncertain about her singing skills and humorously admitted to purchasing earplugs as a gift for the entire cast and crew during production.
Beyond discovering her own singing talents, Jolie expressed a significant increase in her admiration for opera, making it her favorite musical style now. She aims to spread knowledge that this film is suitable even for those new to opera. As she shared with Vogue, “I wasn’t brought up on opera and felt I needed an education due to my perceived lack of sophistication. But what I discovered was quite the opposite. Opera resonates so deeply with the human experience, and it truly belongs to everyone.
There have been murmurs in Hollywood that Angelina Jolie could receive an Oscar nomination for her strong performance, given her past work and director Larraín’s successful history with biopics. Notably, both Natalie Portman and Kristen Stewart received Oscar nods after starring in his previous films. If Jolie were to secure an Oscar nomination, it would follow her Tony Award win for producing “The Outsiders: A New Musical,” bringing her just one award shy of the prestigious EGOT status (an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award).
Maria is available in theaters and to stream on Netflix.
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2024-12-13 22:31