A mournful look at the last days of opera diva Maria Callas, director Franco Zeffirelli's biographical drama attempts to explore the irresistible allure of a comeback for a fallen star who hungers for the success of her past. Weathered from the excess of the previous decade and with her best performances long behind her, Callas (Fanny Ardant) withdraws to her Paris apartment to live her final days in seclusion. Despite being ravaged by a throat disease and being stuck in an extended period of
mourning following the death of her true love, Callas' manager Larry Kelly (Jeremy Irons) nevertheless suggests that the former reigning queen of opera attempt a spectacular comeback. Though she is physically unable to perform the pieces the way that she once did, the suggestion to lip-sync to recordings of her previous performances offers a tentative chance for latter day fame. Despite her belief that lip-syncing her performance would be dishonest to her fans, the prospect of performing Carmen, an opera that she once recorded but never performed on stage, offers Callas one last shot at reliving her former glory. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
The film's portrait of the singer is indelible. The story as a whole, however, doesn't hold together, primarily because the imaginary characters and situations that surround her are so inadequately sketched.
In his Ode to his colleague, Zeffirelli reminds us all how fragile egos can be and the lengths artists (and their producers) will go to remain in the limelight.
Zeffirelli's 'Carmen' looks more PBS than MGM, and this relative poverty helps explain why this sincere but bloodless film has taken three years to limp into theaters.
Nothing more than Zeffirelli's wish-fulfillment, pretending to stage a production of 'Carmen' with Fanny Ardant acting as proxy for his late, great star.
Fanny Ardant is great in the title role, Jeremy Irons and Joan Plowright offer exemplary support.
September 23, 2007
jay nixon
Super Reviewer
I love this movie! Although I am not an opera fan, Fanny Ardant makes me love Maria Callas' work, her spirit, her legacy! The film is so beautiful, it makes you feel as though you're there!
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