It was captivating to watch *Maria*. I wasn’t particularly familiar with Maria Callas beyond knowing some of her famous musical works. It was genuinely sad, but also very absorbing, to discover more about her life and the close of it. The story is presented in a lovely way. I found it surprising that Steven Knight wrote this, as it's not something I would have anticipated given his other projects—though clearly, he’s a versatile filmmaker. Knight and the team behind the scenes are key to what makes this film so good, although the actors certainly contribute too. I realize I haven’t seen enough movies with Angelina Jolie. I’ve watched quite a few films that she's been in, and I’ve known her name for years, but I feel like I should have explored her work more; it’s similar to how I feel about George Clooney. She is exceptional here, there’s no question about it. Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher also play important roles, and they help the film maintain a great deal of emotional depth—I came to care for Ferruccio & Bruna just as much as Maria by the time the credits rolled, so I have to give them both credit. Haluk Bilginer and Kodi Smit-McPhee are also memorable among the supporting cast. My only small quibble (and it’s not really a criticism) is that the singing audio doesn't quite feel right alongside Jolie’s lip movements; it's noticeable, but I suppose it’s an incredibly difficult thing to synchronize perfectly, particularly with such a distinctive voice. I saw this in theaters immediately after watching Robert Zemeckis’ *‘Here’*, and I don’t regret either choice.

Source on TMDB