I’m in the mood to be adored
Story
Maria Callas, the world’s greatest opera singer, lives out her final days in 1970s Paris as she grapples with her identity and her life. Angelina Jolie and director Pablo Larraín discuss how they connected with the heartbreaking true story of world-renowned opera singer Maria Callas. The third and final film in Pablo Larraín’s trilogy of female-led biopics, “The Lady in Heels,” following Jackie (2016) and Spencer (2021). Maria Callas: Book me a table at a café where the waiters know who I am. Referenced in Close-Up: Why Do We Need the Venice Film Festival?
I didn’t expect to enjoy “Maria,” but I did
(2024). Otello Act 4: “Ave Maria” (Desdemona) Performed by Maria Callas, Orchestra of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire Conductor: Nicola Rescigno Written by Giuseppe Verdi, Arrigo Boito A Warner Classics release, (p) 1964 Parlophone Records Limited Remastered 2014 Parlophone Records Limited Courtesy of Warner Music Group Germany Holding GmbH, a Warner Music Group company. I enjoyed many of the scenes (especially those involving JFK, Onassis, and Jackie Kennedy). I enjoyed hearing the real Maria Callas sing some well-known arias (although, truth be told, I’m not a real opera fan). I thought Angelina Jolie was superb as a wounded and damaged diva who, despite her bitterness toward the people who love and serve her, somehow magically earned my empathy.
Just a little
I thought the limited close-up of Callas lip-syncing was a brilliant choice. We know Jolie can’t sing, and the film didn’t try to make us believe she could. And finally, the fact that the viewer never really knows what is “real” versus what is Maria’s hallucination allowed the film to delve into the diva’s past without long expository passages of dialogue. The film drags a little. But overall, the scenes are well-timed, so if one feels too slow, we’re quickly rewarded with another that holds our attention.
Did I like “Maria”?
No. Is it for “everyone”? Again, no. But it does shine a light on an icon I knew very little about. An icon more vulnerable than I would have thought.
Check out our December calendar for more!
And one that has earned and retained my empathy… “One Hundred Years of Solitude” is one of the biggest TV and streaming premieres this month.
https://lamiyahasanova.com/2024/12/09/0x0-0x0-ai-ai-smart-swap-to-weth-weth/
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