Bonus Review: Maria

The Latest From Pablo Larraín

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INTRODUCTION

This is a quick review of the newly released film Maria. Keep in mind this is but one of the many movies I watch every year, and that whatever initial grade I come up for this film could change for better or worse with time. To better keep up to date with both my thoughts on other movies and if my feelings on this film changed, follow me on Letterboxd.

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THE PLOT

Via Letterboxd: Maria Callas, once the world’s greatest opera diva, lives in seclusion in Paris with her staff and her two poodles. Her health is getting worse and worse. Then she receives a request to go on tour again. Will La Callas sing again? And if so, for whom?

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QUICK REVIEW

Pablo Larraín has completed his trilogy of films about tragic, iconic women, with each exploring a pivotal period in its subject’s life. Jackie (2016) delved into Jackie Kennedy's transition into life after JFK’s assassination, Spencer (2021) portrayed Princess Diana’s breaking point with the royal family, and now Maria (2024) focuses on Maria Callas’s twilight years.

All three films have earned critical acclaim for their leading actresses, though Larraín’s slow, contemplative style appeals mainly to viewers with a particular taste for artful, introspective cinema. Having thoroughly enjoyed the first two films, I was eager to see how Maria concludes this remarkable trilogy.