Maria (2024 film)
Maria (2024 film)
The film premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 29, 2024, where it competed for the Golden Lion and received generally positive reviews from critics, who singled out Jolie's performance for praise. It was released in select theaters in the United States on November 27, 2024, before streaming on Netflix on December 11. It was theatrically released in Italy by 01 Distribution on January 1, 2025, before its release in Germany by StudioCanal on February 6. The film earned a nomination for Best Cinematography at the 97th Academy Awards, while Jolie was nominated for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards.
Plot
In 1977, Maria Callas lives in an apartment in Paris, with her butler Ferruccio and housekeeper Bruna. She is attempting to sing again after a years-long hiatus in her opera career due to her declining health. While Ferruccio insists that she see a doctor and take the correct amount of medication, Maria continues to overuse Mandrax, which she claims helps her despite its side effects. Maria informs Ferruccio and Bruna that a television crew will be arriving to interview her about her life. The crew arrives, led by a young filmmaker named "Mandrax". It becomes clear that Mandrax and his cameraman are a hallucination caused by the medication, with Ferruccio and Bruna not seeing them. Over the week, Maria also attends private sessions with conductor Jeffrey Tate to know if she can perform again.
Plot
Prompted by Mandrax's "interviews" and hallucinations, Maria begins recalling memories of her former love affair with Greek business magnate Aristotle Onassis, who would eventually marry Jackie Kennedy. Although she initially declined his advances in 1957, she quickly fell in love with him and left her husband Giovanni Battista Meneghini. She eventually left Onassis as he and the public scrutiny around their relationship constrained her. However, she still secretly saw him on his deathbed and admitted that she did love him.
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