FNC 2024: Maria Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s edition of Montreal’s ‘Festival du Nouveau Cinéma,’ to keep up with our latest coverage, click here

Pablo Larraín rounds out his trilogy of iconic women biopics, following Jackie and Spencer, with Maria. In his latest effort, he shifts his attention away from a prominent political figure to an endearing performing artist, this time focusing on the final years of Maria Callas (Jolie) through her struggles with regaining her voice in the midst of her declining health.

Larraín’s Maria is distinct from his previous installments as he aims for a more somber tribute tone compared to the gloomy depictions of dark points in history. Without the presence of political themes to help drive the story forward, the film has limitations in keeping audiences interested in her isolation from the world. From Maria’s lavish lifestyle to the elegant architecture of Paris in the 1970s, Larraín complements this stylistic tone with a vivid production and costume design different from the minimalist designs in his previous historical depictions. 

Meanwhile, the film utilizes more of an unreliable narrator as Maria often experienced hallucinations as a result of her rampant medication abuse. Through this, she creates this figure, Mandrax (Kodi Smit-McPhee), as she dwells upon her past from her wonderful opera performances and her complicated relationship with Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer). These glimpses into her past do a great job in showing just how powerful of a voice she had, and its impact on the people around her without delving deep into why these moments haunt her.

Despite the missteps in Larraín’s transition to a more honoring portrait of his subject, Jolie conveys this mysterious background and hides this depth through an advantageous portrayal of Callas that highlights how much those close to her are in the dark about her struggles. Her eloquence, dry wit, insight, and empathic behavior round out Jolie’s excellent portrayal of a reserved but driven woman who, through her voice, is fighting with all her might to reclaim this power that was once there.

At the end of the day, Maria, unfortunately, is a step-down from Larraín’s previous depictions of historical figures. Using Callas as an unreliable narrator, makes for a difficult figure for audiences to become invested in, as many of her lingering memories are sure to leave many puzzled by the depths of what is truly haunting her. That being said, despite this, Jolie’s incredible lead performance and Larraín’s lavish production design result in an endearing and, at times, tearful watch.

still courtesy of Mubi/Netflix

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Costa Christoulas

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