Maria

“Maria,” is a film that, although divisive, delivers a deeply sensorial experience, marked by aesthetic delicacy and the silent strength of a woman in her final days. Angelina Jolie’s performance as Maria Callas not only convinces, she absorbs the essence of the character with remarkable precision. In part, the film does adopt a contemplative pace, at times almost static. However, to me, this slowness aligns with the melancholy that permeates Maria’s life in those final years. It’s a quietude that communicates, that weighs on you, that makes you hear the silence surrounding the singer after the applause had faded. One of the aspects that moved me most was the setting. There is no need for spectacular scenery or constant changes. Every line Maria speaks, every subtle gesture, downcast, restrained, silently expressive, gains weight through the place in which it is said. It’s not about the number of locations, but the meaning they hold. I saw a gaze carrying the pain, the glory, and the solitude of an artist who was once celebrated and now merely endures. Still, I do recognize one element that could have been explored more: Maria Callas’s career. It leaves a gap for those expecting a deeper look into her artistic journey. In that sense, the film is more of an intimate portrait than a full biographical account.

Much to like in this movie starting with a very, very good performance by Jolie. The photography is beautiful as is the music. I enjoy.ed this very much.

Angelina Jolie, en uno de sus roles más maduros, supo cómo caracterizar a la famosa cantante de ópera en sus últimos años de vida, en un tono casi documental, con detalles introspectivos. Como espectador uno queda cautivado, lo suficiente para investigar lo que fue real, y lo fantasioso.

A Movie with a great potential and well shot. Also the acting is at a very good level. Unfortunately the only theme that get really developed is the relationship of Maria Callas with her butler and maid failing to develop the other aspects of Maria Callas Life. A pity for a 2 h long movie

While Angelina Jolie looks and carries herself like a Diva, she is not THE divina Callas. The real Callas footage shown at the end showed how far short this tragic portrayal fell, snuffing out the lively, and charming Callas, personality that burst forth in every frame. Jolie reverted to the persistent, elegant melancholy she embodies in nearly every role from Maleficent to The Tourist. Worse, she clearly had NO voice training and her singing scenes -and there many - were obviously fake, violently breaking the illusion. Finally and most importantly, it was a narrative, but no story. An abstract concept of a story. Thats not enough. Logline and script: "She's broken-hearted, drug-addled and dying. She sings." I really wanted to love this picture. Its 3 stars at best.

O filme mostra os últimos dias da soprano Maria Callas, enquanto ela passeia por Paris e se perde entre memórias e ilusões criadas pelos remédios que tomava na época. Este é o último filme da trilogia das divas do diretor Pablo Larraín. Tivemos Jackie, sobre a Jaqueline Kennedy, Tivemos Spencer, sobre a Princesa Diana. E encerramos com Maria, sobre uma das maiores e mais famosas cantoras líricas. De uma infância pobre, ela conseguiu se tornar admirada pelo seu talento vocal. Como nas suas outras cinebiografias, Larraín faz um recorte da vida da retratada. Jackie foi após o assassinato de John Kennedy. Spencer acontece depois da separação do Príncipe Charles. Aqui, O retrato acontece nos últimos dias de Callas, enquanto ela está com problemas na sua voz e faz muitos anos que ela não se apresenta. Em primeiro lugar, a produção é um espetáculo aos olhos: direção de arte, figurino, maquiagem, reconstituição de época e, principalmente, a fotografia, que vai de um belíssimo preto e branco, para as memórias da cantora, para um tom sépia, que combina perfeitamente com os passeios por Paris. O elenco está muito bem. Angelina Jolie consegue trazer todo o lado diva de Callas e até se sai bem em muitas cenas de dublagem, quanto a personagem canta suas árias. O destaque para mim é o ator Haluk Bilginer, que nos entrega um Aristóteles Onassis perfeito: canalha, verborrágico, mas que consegue ter um charme pessoal, que conseguiu conquistar duas das mulheres mais famosas da sua época. O problema aqui é que não há trama nesse filme. Jackie e Spencer mostravam suas protagonistas em momentos chaves. Callas parece que apenas espera o seu final para voltar a ser adorada. Tanto que é obrigado a recorrer às memórias da cantora e trazer uma equipe de televisão produzida pelas suas alucinações para contá-las. No final, temos um filme belíssimo no visual, excelente nas partes técnicas, mas que não apresenta a sua retratada tão bem.

An amazing and a beautiful stunning yet elegant film!!! Angelina Jolie is superb as always!!!

First, there was JACKIE. Then there was SPENCER. Now, director Pablo Larrain has created a trilogy of 20th century iconic women, ending with MARIA. This is a biopic focusing on the final days of one of the greatest opera singers of all time, Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie). It’s 1977 in Paris. Maria has done her final concert. She now lives on her own, having only her maid and butler care for her. She is interviewed about her life, prompting her to look back at specific moments as the movie goes on. This movie does a great job depicting how something that you love can become your whole life. For Maria, singing opera was her life. I could feel her anguish when she was trying to find her voice again, both figuratively and literally. Having control over your life is something most people strive for. Larrain really knows how to pull out everything from his actors, turning them into career-defining performances. Jolie is amazing in this, singing most of the vocals. She has a mature elegance about her. To be honest, the movie gets slow, and the script kind of meanders. The care is there though. The more operatic and bold this movie gets, the better it is. When you become famous, almost nobody in your life will tell it like it is. This movie is more fantastical than I would’ve thought, but it’s fantastically shot. While not as deep as Larrain’s previous work, MARIA is gorgeous to look at; both the lighting and costumes are elegant. The story is heartbreaking, but worth your time wherever you can find it.

A little long and unfocused but interesting subject.

To be honest, it was the camera work and emotional acting that made the film good. I understand the intention of showing the last downfall of a diva, a tragic drama, but it really wasn't an easy watch: it is too long to have such a timeline jumping narrative, only starts making sense in the end. If you don't have any previous knowledge on Callas, it's just confusing. The choice to have an unreliable narrator with a drug overuse problem really only adds to the frustration. Can't really evaluate how good or bad Jolie's lipsync was, but it was as emotional and dramatic as expected. The acting and the cinematics really was the saving grace.