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In the time leading up to the Oscars announcement, if you had told me that Maria was going to receive just one nomination - and not for Angelina Jolie - I would have told you that you are nuts. This epic film on the complicated life of Maria Callas, thought to be one of the greatest opera singers of all time, is wonderful. If you are a fan of opera, so much the better but not a prerequisite for enjoying the movie. When we meet Maria at the beginning of the film, she is already rather isolated with her butler and her maid, and she hasn't performed in years. Her health is declining and for reasons unclear to her employees and dear friends, she has agreed to be the subject of a documentary film. At the same time, she is meeting quietly with music conductor Jeffrey Tate to see if her voice is strong enough to maybe perform again. All the while, we are reliving her young life including her tragic affair with Aristotle Onasis and singing for Nazis as a young woman to keep her family safe.
Here's the incredible thing; the Oscars has a history of rewarding those who learn to sing for their movie roles, or those who we simply know as actors who showcase their vocal talents in a film - especially in biopics. Sissy Spacek in Coal Miner's Daughter (won), Gary Busey in The Buddy Holly Story, Renee Zellweger in Judy (won), Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon (won) in Walk the Line... the list goes on and on. But not to nominate Angelina Jolie who learned how to sing OPERA? She was magnificent as an actress (as she almost always is), but when I watched the film, I assumed that the performance was all dubbed. It was not. This is perhaps the most offensive of the snubs this season, just for that feat alone. You should watch it for the same reason.
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