I have never been much interested in Zeffirelli as a film director. Of his 22 directing credits, I have only seen four others- 3 of Shakespeare and 1 film of an opera based on Shakespeare. But he has come through with a great one here. It has a 2002 date but is just now getting a limited release in the U.S. Zeffirelli directs his own story and screenplay of a fictional account involving opera legend Maria Callas, sort of a what-might-have-been scenario based on his memories of his long professional association and personal friendship with Callas. The story takes place in 1977. Jeremy Irons plays a music promoter who is based loosely on Zeffirelli himself. When he flies into Rome, his job is managing PR for a heavy metal rock band. He tries to get in to see his old friend, Callas, but she has barricaded herself inside her apartment, being a long time in grief over the loss of her singing voice and the loss of Aristotle Onassis. Irons finally does talk to her and convinces her to take part in a comeback of sorts. Callas had recorded Bizet's "Carmen", but never performed it on stage. She agrees to appear in a film of Carmen where she will lip-sync to her older recording. This sets up a number of professional, personal, and ethical minefields for all involved. In the person of the great French actress Fanny Ardant, we see all of the diva's depth of emotion, her temperament, her grief, and her great talent. Callas was the whole package: her voice was an astounding musical instrument, but she was also a consummate stage actress who could deliver a powerful characterization with both her body and her voice her singing was much more than just technical skill. Ardant embodies this temperamental talent to the max. Irons does his best work in years. In a parallel construction, as Callas' life begins to come together again, Irons' life falls into crisis as he struggles to save his career and his new relationship with a handsome young artist. The film features a lot of Callas' music, often in quite long excerpts, which is beautiful and devastating. More importantly, we get to see several long scenes from "Carmen" the movie within the movie and it looks wonderful. I really, really want to see that movie! I went to this at a local art house on Stupor Bowl Sunday afternoon. They had booked it into their smallest auditorium and were only running three shows that day. The house was packed! My Lovely Wife and I showed up as we thought a little early, but had to sit apart. A friend went the next Wednesday night and it was packed again Wednesday night! At my showing as well as my friend's, nobody left when the closing credits ran (Callas singing "Casta Diva"), there was tremendous applause, and at the Wednesday night showing, my friend heard several gasps of astonishment. A week later, I am still all goose-pimply from the thought of the experience. See it. You won't regret it.
Review of Callas Forever
