Mixed Reviews for Angelina Jolie’s Maria Callas Biopic

The reviews for the biopic titled ‘Maria‘ are in, displaying a diverse range of opinions from critics.

Starring Angelina Jolie as the famed opera singer Maria Callas, the film has garnered praise for Jolie’s performance. A leading trade magazine stated, ‘Jolie is an almost magical match for the real diva: achingly thin but still beautiful, loftily patrician, capriciously kind or selfish, tip-toeing dangerously close to madness.’ This review also suggested that her performance has placed her in the Oscar conversation.

Another outlet awarded the film four stars, asserting, ‘Angelina Jolie dazzles as the opera diva in her finest performance in a decade.’ Critics praised Jolie’s portrayal for being ‘soulful and heartbreaking’ and noted her ability to fully showcase her dramatic range.

However, not all reviews have been favorable. David Ehrlich from ‘IndieWire’ expressed a critical perspective, stating, ‘This claustrophobic psychodrama is so focused on freeing its subject from her own legend that it struggles to convey who she is or was beyond it.’ Ehrlich added that without Jolie, the film’s narrative might feel like just another form of scrutiny that plagued Callas’s life.

Another negative review indicated that by the end of ‘Maria’, the film seemed to drain the life out of the story. Similarly, another critic commented that while the film is witty and beautiful, it portrays Callas as more of an icon than a real human being, with some scenes resembling soap opera more than opera.

‘Maria’ is set to premiere later this year at the Venice Film Festival and the New York Film Festival, marking a significant event in the entertainment calendar.