Review: Maria

Official Synopsis: Maria Callas, (Angelina Jolie) the world's greatest opera singer, lives the last days of her life in 1970s Paris, as she confronts her identity and life.

Another entry in Director Pablo Larraín's collection of films around tragic women, this time I came into it with little knowledge of the woman in question. I can't say I knew anything about Maria Callas before I heard that Pablo was making this film, though I'm sure I've heard her singing before. It allowed me to entry this film differently than I did Jackie or Spencer.

Maybe it was the Parisian setting but I kept thinking of Cleo from 9 to 5. This is very much a "day in the life" type film, even though it spans over the course of a few days. Maria is a fully realized character, even though we meet her at the end of her career. She's addicted to her pain medication, she loves to sing but knows she won't perform. And she goes to restaurants to be adored, damn it! I liked Maria and Jolie is great at playing her most of the tije.

The distracting bit is the singing. Jolie is lip-syncing and you can tell. That was the only part that took me out of it. La Vie En Rose remains the only movie where I completely bought a lip syncing performance. It's a tough choice. Callas had insane range, and you're not going to find that in a movie star. You'd have to cast an unknown. Jolie shines so much the rest of the time, I can't hold that against her. It's just something that I couldn't let myself get lost in.

Like Pablo's other films, the costumes are beautiful, the score and cinematography are dreamy, and it all comes together very well. While Jackie remains my favorite, Maria is certainly worth the watch. 

Grade: B