MARIA continues Pablo Larraín's run of acclaimed and original biopics (Neruda, Jackie) as he reunites with Spencer writer Steven Knight to explore who Callas really was, away from the fame and tabloid headlines. In poor health, Callas wanders around a picturesque Paris as she recounts to an adoring journalist the highs of her career and litany of past loves. Angelina Jolie gives a transforming performance, capturing the myriad layers and masks of this legendary singer’s personality, from pithy to heartbreakingly vulnerable, while showing flashes of the personality that saw her idolised as an opera star. Featuring a stellar cast that includes Valeria Golino, Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher, MARIA is a stunning addition to Larraín’s portrait of iconic women subjected to an alarming degree of scrutiny, while the world looked on.
