Following his Oscar-nominated films “Jackie” and “Spencer,” director and producer Pablo Larraín brings us this year’s “Maria,“ an elaborate conclusion to his unplanned trilogy about iconic 20th-century women. The filmmaker’s portrait of a lady on stage is his most ambitious feature yet. In “Maria,“ Larraín collaborates with Angelina Jolie to reimagine the legendary Maria Callas, one of the world’s most influential and mysterious sopranos. Through expressionistic color palettes and black-and-white flashbacks, the film follows La Callas’ rediscovery of her voice during the final days of her life. Larraín’s introspective storytelling is the perfect fit for this subject. By mixing the singer’s larger-than-life legacy with the mystery of her true self, he gives us an off-stage glimpse into her humanity. For each moment Maria performs for an audience, there is one of her reckoning in solitude with an interior conflict, the weight of an exquisite talent on her shoulders.
We’ve seen plenty of multi-genre biopics based on singers, but opera is an under-explored art form in film. From the singing and orchestral music to the scenery and libretto, it’s quite an undertaking to translate these various components (and many more) from stage to screen. With a stellar ensemble — including screenwriter Steven Knight, cinematographer Edward Lachman, costume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini, production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas, and editor Sofía Subercaseaux — Larraín orchestrates a love letter to the opera world and to La Callas’ deeply woven place within it. The film’s narrative is shaped around the singer’s memories as she grapples with her public perception. She floats through her Paris apartment, reminiscing about her glory days, haunted by her childhood and unable to close the door on the past. Larraín opens the door for audiences to immerse themselves into the layers of exposure on Maria, as she reckons with having spent so many years singing for others and not herself.
As showcased in “Jackie“ and “Spencer,“ Larraín incorporates a ghostly element into his trilogy of legends. Each film is set in a heightened reality, wherein measured creative liberties divert from the traditional cradle-to-grave biopic approach. Larraín’s work is not about playing the greatest hits but reimagining how Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, and Maria Callas lost a part of themselves in the blurred lines between their public and private personas. Larraín’s capacity for exploring the messy vulnerability of these women makes this trilogy feel so transcendent. We get portrayals that exist far beyond textbook images and headlines.
Angelina Jolie’s magnificent interpretation of La Callas shines in the glow of a respectful filmmaker. Jolie’s movie star magic, emotional range, and unwavering determination embody the role. She has been a consistent presence in this year’s Best Actress race. As such, she is extremely likely to complete the trifecta of Larraín’s leading ladies — Natalie Portman (“Jackie“) and Kristen Stewart (“Spencer“) among them — receiving Oscar nominations for their portrayals of icons. Additionally, “Maria“ would mark the third acting nomination of Jolie’s career, following her lead nomination for “Changeling“ and her supporting win for “Girl, Interrupted.”
While Best Actress is the biggest Oscar play, the crafts of “Maria“ are also getting a push, most of all Edward Lachman’s gorgeous cinematography. Lachman, a three-time Oscar nominee and well-respected name in the industry, could be the film’s sole win with Best Cinematography. Netflix FYCs have also focused on the film’s costume design, production design, makeup, and hairstyling. If the film receives nominations for all five mentioned categories, that would make it Larraín’s most well-received feature to date; “Jackie“ received three Oscar nominations (Best Actress; Best Costume Design; Best Original Score), while “Spencer“ received one (Best Actress).
Left out of the predictions conversation entirely is Larraín himself. It comes as no surprise given how often “Maria“ has been discussed as an incredibly performance-driven play, which was the case with “Jackie“ and “Spencer.” Larraín’svisions are uniquely personal; while he brings iconic portrayals to big audiences, some might find the material too contained and out of grasp. Plus, this year’s competition is stiff. Though stacked with contenders, it’s still early in the game, and the category feels up in the air after a certain point. Brady Corbet (“The Brutalist“) and Sean Baker (“Anora“) remain at the top of our prediction lists with remaining contenders such as Denis Villeneuve (“Dune: Part Two“), Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez“), Mohammad Rasoulof (“The Seed of the Sacred Fig“), RaMell Ross (“Nickel Boys“), Payal Kapadia (“All We Imagine As Light“), Jon M. Chu (“Wicked“), Edward Berger (“Conclave“), and Coralie Fargeat (“The Substance“) all duking it out for those final slots.
Even with Netflix’s backing, which “Jackie“ and “Spencer“ did not have, there hasn’t been a concentrated awards push for Larraín’s direction. The Best Director conversation feels too stacked for him to get his much-deserved due, but it’s likely only a matter of time before his name is called in this category. The Academy has recognized his films outside of the “20th-century Women“ trilogy, from 2012’s “No“ (nominated for Best International Feature) to 2023’s “El Conde“(nominated for Best Cinematography, one of Lachman’s three). Additionally, with Larraín often in attendance alongside Jolie to promote “Maria,“ the industry’s goodwill around him can continue to build, reaching a point where he would eventually be considered overdue for a nomination. It may not be for this film, but his time will eventually come. Plus, there’s been a growing recognition of international talent among the directors’ branch, leaving much-needed room for more diversity in this field.
Given Larraín’s interest in telling stories based on public figures, perhaps a new unofficial trilogy of icons will bring him closer to Academy recognition. Maybe he’ll be recognized first as a producer in the future. Larraín previously produced 2017’s “A Fantastic Woman“ (which won the Oscar for Best International Feature) and 2023’s “The Eternal Memory“(which was Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary Feature). In addition, if his long-rumored project “The True American“ (a title that Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow was once in talks to direct) goes into production, the source material of Anand Giridharadas’ novel “The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas“ could cross over to the Academy.
Whichever new Larraín film comes out next, one can expect him to continue exploring subjects through a visually arresting and narratively engaging lens. While “Maria“ may not lead to a Best Director nomination, it’s rewarding to know there’s an appetite for his singular vision and goodwill for him to be individually recognized by the Academy one day.
