Jolie’s powerhouse performance allows Maria to sing
A bracing reminder of the power she brings to the screen,
Angelina Jolie delivers a deeply moving performance in Pablo Larrain’s Maria, the director’s third biopic focused on a significant female figure of the 20th century. Much like Jackie and Spencer, this feature examines the withering
effects of being consistently in the spotlight. Constant petty criticisms
eventually take their toll, leaving these strong women’s self-esteem in
tatters. Yet, through all they endure, there’s a sense of pride and strength in
them that never falters, which is where Jolie excels, providing the character
with a sense of defiance she held on to fiercely to the end.
Initially structured like Citizen Kane, the film
opens on the afternoon of Sept. 16, 1977, the day Maria Callas was found
dead in her Parisian apartment at the age of 53. We are then treated to a
montage of scenes from her life, composed mostly of her triumphs on stage as
well as public appearances with her partner, Aristotle Onassis. These are
moments of contentment and, one senses, public acceptance for the Greek
soprano.
Yet once this is over, Lorrain pulls back the curtain to
expose the singer’s arduous life, one beset by poverty and neglect early on,
self-doubt and illness later. To be sure, there was no one more famous or
influential in the world of opera, standing like a Colossus among her peers,
during the mid-20th century. Yet, it was a status that came at a
great personal cost.
As Callas contemplates a comeback, making trips to the Paris
Opera House to meet a confidante who assesses her, she takes a steady number of
sedatives to ease her nerves, which prompt a series of hallucinations. She sees
a reporter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who questions her about her life for a supposed
documentary. This elicits memories that show the abuse inflicted on her by her
mother, her rise to fame and her tumultuous relationship with Onassis (Haluk
Bilginer), as well as the onset of the health issues that would plague her for
the last decade of her life.
The structure of the film allows Jolie to showcase not only
her considerable acting talents but her heretofore unheard singing as well.
Having mastered the necessary breathing patterns and vocal inflections, she’s
completely convincing when she’s required to sing, the illusion made complete
by using a combination of her and Callas’ voice. In taking this approach
there’s never a sense that lip-synching is at play, the actress selling these
moments with a sense of utter conviction.
Kudos must be paid to Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher,
who portray Callas’ faithful servants Ferruccio and Bruna, respectively. The
actors’ sincere performances as the diva’s only friends provides a vicarious
avenue for the viewer to care and sympathize with her as they did. These two
veterans play wonderfully off one another, while Favino’s scenes with Jolie, in
which they lob subtle barbs at one another, are highlights.
Yet, in the end, so much of the success of the film rests on
Jolie’s shoulders and she responds with an intensity that’s been absent in her
performances for quite some time. Though at first glance her stoic approach may
seem simplistic, it’s part of a fully nuanced approach, her seeming haughtiness
but a fragile defense in face of unrelenting scrutiny. As a result, the moments
in which this façade cracks are the ones where Maria’s tragedy is
powerfully driven home. Streaming on Netflix.
Thrilling Carry-On exceeds expectations
Though it shamelessly cribs from numerous other action
films, Jaume Collet-Serra’s Carry-On manages to be a surprisingly smart,
entertaining genre exercise. Inventive and fun, the script by T.J. Fixman and
Michael Green contains one clever surprise after another, while not forgetting
to inject some knowing humor throughout. To be sure, it trips up a bit at the end
when a couple of lapses in logic occur, yet so much goodwill is established by
then you’ll likely forgive it its narrative faults.
It’s Christmas time and Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) has just
gotten a pleasant but sobering piece of news from his wife, Nora (Sofia
Carson). Seems she’s pregnant and suddenly, the unassuming underachiever
realizes he needs to step up and do a bit more with his life. His application
to the Los Angeles Police Department having been rejected, he’s been coasting
through his security job with the TSA at LAX. So, when he asks his boss (Dean
Norris) for more responsibility and a raise, he’s met with derision. However,
when his buddy Jason (Sinqua Walls) vouches for him, Kopek is assigned to the
baggage scanner, on the busiest travel day of the year, Christmas Eve.
Meanwhile, a nefarious plot is afoot. Our hero is contacted
by an anonymous man (Jason Bateman), who tells him a traveler by the name of
Mateo Flores (Tonatiuh) will soon be coming to his line and he needs to allow
his bag pass through no matter what he sees. He says Nora, who also works at
the airport, will be killed if he doesn’t, providing proof he’s capable of
carrying out this threat.
The game of cat-and-mouse that ensues between Kopek and his
unseen assailant is very clever. Every move Kopek makes to extricate himself
from the situation or get word to someone who can help is thwarted
logically. None of the plot’s twists and
turns come out of left field, nor are any of the characters’ actions
implausible. To be sure, a bit of narrative convenience and coincidence is used
at times, but nothing so egregious that it causes the viewer to give up their
suspension of disbelief.
The committed cast, all overqualified in the roles they’ve
been given, elevate the material, keeping us engaged via the emotional heft
they bring to their characters. Egerton is always impressive, one of the best
young actors working today. While Kopek is not as complex as the roles he
tackled in Rocketman, Black Bird, or Tetris, he still fully
commits to it, bringing subtle touches and added depth to the part. Bateman
doesn’t break a sweat, but that’s fine. His persona of icy cynicism suffused
with effortless condescension are perfect for his villainous turn. The
antagonistic interplay the two principals engage in not only elevates the
tension but provide some clever, wry moments as well.
Granted, Die Hard and its first sequel, Red Eye, and The Guilty will all come to mind while watching Carry-On. However, instead of looking at it with derision as a knock-off of these
previous films, add it to the group as another smart, taut thriller that is far
more entertaining than it has a right to be. Let the debate over whether it’s a
holiday movie or not begin. Streaming on Netflix.
This article appears in Project censored 2024.
