‘Maria’ Review: A Spark Of Hope For The Biopic?

The famous biopic. A genre that dedicates its time to breaking down and showcasing the life of any chosen individual or group. Whether that Malcolm X, or Oppenheimer, the genre has seen many highs and lows. But as of now, the lows are certainly at the forefront.

Over the last decade or so, biopics have turned into copy-and-paste, factory-made pieces of anti-art. Their relevance only seems to serve as a distasteful linear examination of their chosen person. If it isn’t that, it’s a stylistic dry breakdown that completely disregards any form of ‘show, not tell.’

In particular, there is a common trend of music biopics being the main culprit of these downgrading showcases. Take Bohemian Rhapsody, for example, which spends its time trying to tell a big story in too short a time. It somehow simultaneously disrespects the life of a beloved man on the big screen. Films like the Bob Marley and Amy Winehouse biopics are just clones produced by a studio that doesn’t care for artist output. They and the attached director have no clue how to tell a concise and creative story about one’s life.

These films have the same visual life as a graveyard and no unique perspective to challenge the audience. Unfortunately, general audiences seem to eat these up anyway. The box office numbers don’t lie.

The Biopic Mystro

So, what can be done to change this? That is an easy answer: give a great script to an even better director. In this case, his name is Pablo Larraín. A man who understands the utmost importance of how to tell a biopic story properly. He doesn’t bother to give a shallow overview of the entire life of said celebrity; he chooses his time and place carefully with artistic intent. His most recent film, ‘Maria’, absolutely showcases that.

This decade has seen him rise up many people’s ‘to watch’ lists with a film that was at the center of many talking points. ‘Spencer’. A statement of a film that takes place in a small segment of Princess Diana’s life, portrayed to perfection by Kristen Stewart.

This film’s breakdown of a small window in time is exactly what other biopics struggle to do. Larraín’s dissection of the late princess sees her character developed and handled with care. A princess who is struggling with her status and not wanting to be of her class. Larraín uses these slightly experimental sequences that are rarely showcased in biopic filmmaking, boy is it a joy to watch. Its challenging execution of an incredible woman pays off, and its standout in the genre is unprecedented. ‘Maria’ is further proof of Pablo following on his genre-defining run.

Opera Royalty

Moving from a royal princess to an opera princess. His next challenge was treating the tragic life of opera singer Maria Callas with the same amount of care that he did with Diana. Once again, Pablo channels that limited view of time uniquely. We open with a half-visible body lying on the floor of a grand apartment. Pablo and scriptwriter Steven Knight take this film a week back as the main events of the film begin to unfold. Larrain spends the film dabbling between reality, imagination, past, and present in a brilliant take on women with a high level of arrogance about her.

The wise direction from Larraín harmonizes her cocky nature with the film’s tone throughout every aspect of this film. Its arrogance is coupled with its brief meta-reflection of biopic filmmaking. The audacity and risk of having your characters speak on how celebrities are positioned and approached in biopics is unheard of. Maria questions her imagination and asks why is she being interviewed and being made a figure.

A Forceful Comeback

None of this would work to the extent it does without Angelina Jolie’s performance. An incredible force to behold. Maria’s egotistical nature is captured by Jolie in a captivatingly witty approach. She never stops being this powerful diva from minute one to minute 123.

Her ability to control every flashback image uniquely transcends the range of this performance. Moving from scenes where she’s dealing with the many men that flock to her, then the next, it’s a saddening hook of her reality – a woman who just wants to get her voice back. From the height of her career to the struggling position she sits in; she never loses sight of her character’s ego-centric smug nature. A performance of real control but filled with enough explosive passion to become one of Angelina’s career-defining performances.

Style Is Substance

Larraín’s study of one woman’s tragic reach for her voice and the longing to be who she was is a biopic that can comprehend its capabilities. He doesn’t study every part of Maria’s existence, only those fleeting retrospective scenes that matter to her present struggle. All whilst being presented in stunning black and white and Super 8 images. While not only being a study of herself, its painting of opera as an art form is fascinating. The power of voice conveying the struggles of our character is one of genuine passion and love. Larraín’s mixture of imagination and memory combines to make these amplified opera sequences that echo across the film. The power of Maria Callas is done to full justice by a man who understands the importance of humanity’s love for the arts.

Pablo Larraín is a clear staple to studios and filmmakers alike as to what a biopic can and should be. Its substance takes stylistic risks but doesn’t seem to offend or scrutinize anyone depicted in the film.

Then again, you should never make a film for everyone because a film that appeals to everyone appeals to no one. So why do they keep doing it? For the general audiences, most of them don’t have the humanity to care for someone’s image. Hopefully, Maria will light the fire that turns the Hollywood system into something that takes the art form seriously again.