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Angelina Jolie makes Maria compelling through sheer commitment, but Pablo Larraín’s film is better understood as an operatic impression of Maria Callas than as a full account of the singer’s life. Its late-life memories and music create a mournful, theatrical portrait; whether that portrait captures Callas’s forceful personality is the film’s central point of disagreement.
What is Maria about?
Pablo Larraín’s 2024 drama follows Maria Callas in her final days in 1970s Paris, then revisits her life through memories and performances. Steven Knight wrote the screenplay. La Biennale di Venezia lists the film at 123 minutes, in English and Greek, and identifies Italy, Germany and the United States as its countries of origin. The Associated Press lists the runtime as 122 minutes, so listings differ by a minute.
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The festival describes the story as Callas’s life “relived and reimagined” during that final period. That is a useful guide to the film’s approach: it is not structured as a comprehensive cradle-to-grave biography or a documentary reconstruction.
Is Angelina Jolie good as Maria Callas?
Jolie is intense and assured in the film’s heightened register. Lindsey Bahr, reviewing for the Associated Press on November 27, 2024, praises her resolve and calls the movie “a dramatic, evocative elegy.” Bahr describes it as “a biopic as opera,” awarding it three stars out of four. In that reading, performance and emotional atmosphere matter more than strict factual coverage.
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Stephanie Zacharek’s TIME review, published August 29, 2024, offers a pointed counterargument. She recognizes the film’s visual beauty and Jolie’s dedicated preparation, including vocal tracks blending Jolie’s voice with Callas’s, but concludes that “Maria captures nothing of the spirit of Callas.” The contrast matters: an actor can be compelling in a role without the film making its historical subject feel fully present. Jolie’s command is evident; whether Larraín’s portrait conveys Callas’s imperious charisma is much less certain.
How does the film use Callas’s music and voice?
Music is not simply period atmosphere here; it is the film’s organizing idea. Netflix Tudum quotes Larraín saying, “This is a movie about someone who is looking to find her own voice and understand her identity.” Knight describes Callas’s relationship with singing as “the most maddeningly complex,” adding that she seemed to feel her voice was inseparable from her soul. Those are the filmmakers’ explanations of their adaptation, not neutral conclusions about Callas’s life.
The film’s associated album, according to Tudum, features restored Callas recordings performing extracts from nine operas. Jolie puts the idea simply: “The music was her life.” That musical emphasis gives the film emotional texture and helps connect the late-life frame to a career onstage, even as the story remains selective.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Maria a true story?
It depicts the real opera singer Maria Callas, but its festival description and the filmmakers’ comments emphasize reimagining and emotional interpretation. Bahr likewise frames the film as an operatic experience rather than a history lesson. Viewers looking for a detailed account of Callas’s life should not treat the film as a comprehensive biography; its focus is the filmmakers’ impression of a woman revisiting her identity through memory, performance and music.
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It is worth watching if you are open to a stylized character study and want to see Jolie inhabit a tragic, theatrical role. Consider it on four separate terms: Jolie’s presence, the use of Callas’s recorded voice, the visual and costume design, and whether the late-life frame gives you enough access to Callas’s history and public force. Bahr’s response shows why the film can work as an emotional elegy; Zacharek’s criticism explains why it may disappoint as a portrait of Callas herself.
If the film sends you looking for more of Callas’s artistry, Tudum’s account of restored recordings offers a useful starting point for exploring her performances. It does not establish a particular physical album edition or its availability.
Where can you watch Maria?
Netflix’s title page lists the film as a 2024 R-rated drama starring Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher. Its audio and subtitle options, as well as whether it is available to stream, can vary by region; check the listing for your market.
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