VENICE, Italy—A legend of the stage, few people have become as synonymous with an art form as Maria Callas has with opera. Known affectionately as “La Divina” (or “The Divine One”), Callas’ once-in-a-lifetime voice and performance abilities made her an unbeatable name in the world of opera. Callas is finally receiving a long-overdue treatment in Pablo Larráin’s Maria, starring Angelina Jolie, her first role in three years, as Callas.
Maria, which just premiered at the Venice Film Festival, takes place in the week before the opera singer's death. It’s framed around an extensive interview of Maria Callas, conducted by Mandrax (Kodi Smitt-McPhee), a journalist keen to learn about every aspect of her life. Maria is happy to participate, even answering questions Mandrax doesn’t press her on. She’s surprisingly vulnerable despite her reputation for being quick to anger. Perhaps that’s all because the interview isn’t real and exists entirely within her mind, and Mandrax is also the name of her medication.
This is a compelling hook for a biopic, a storytelling method that often gets stuck into the same ebbs and flows. But Maria is a swirling, fragmented recollection of Callas’ life, one that leaves things frustratingly on the surface. Larraín has an incredible eye, and Maria is a richly textured visual feast. Brought to life by cinematographer Ed Lachman, the film makes beautiful use of Paris in the Autumn, reveling in a warm palette. The style sometimes gets away with itself, including a jarring first-person shakycam shot of a clothing rack, but it mostly works. And the visuals all work to serve Jolie’s pivotal performance.
