Maria is a historical drama about the days leading up to the death of the opera singer Maria Callas in 1977. By this time of her life she is 53, living alone in a palatial Parisian apartment and very unwell. Desperate to recover her voice she seeks out a former colleague to help her but it is a failing ambition.
The film dips back and forward in time as she recalls past memories both happy and sad. We witness scenes from her life in wartime Athens, being courted by shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, and her stage triumphs.
Jolie is remarkable in the lead role and seems to evoke a unique strength and vulnerability in Callas as well as a subtle humour. The sung arias are a very clever mix of the voices of Callas and Jolie which creates a very interesting synthesis.
This is not a full biography of the singer, rather an interpretation of her final week and delves more into the psychology and melancholy as her world seems to unravel.
Beautifully acted and well written and shot, it creates a very sympathetic view of the diva and humanises her.
MARIA
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Directed by: Pablo Larrain
Duration: 124 Minutes
Open in New Zealand – 30th January 2025
