49
Metascore
20 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasThe result is not only one of Zeffirelli's sumptuous productions but also a film that celebrates the sacredness of artistic integrity that to Zeffirelli Callas embodied fully.
- 70L.A. WeeklyChuck WilsonL.A. WeeklyChuck WilsonArdant gives in this film the performance of her life, lip-synching to the voice of the real Callas.
- 60Chicago ReaderTed ShenChicago ReaderTed ShenArdant embodies the diva's dazzling blend of glamour, hauteur, and vulnerability, and despite a faintly campy script by Martin Sherman, Zeffirelli captures the artistic imperative that drives both characters-and deepens their loneliness.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterWhat captures the audience's attention is Ardent's mesmerizing performance.
- 50VarietyDeborah YoungVarietyDeborah YoungMain body of the movie is weighed down by flat, expository dialogue and a lot of pedestrian filming. However, Zeffirelli's shooting of the "Carmen" sequences, which make up a sizable chunk of the film and are far and away the pic's most exhilarating sections, are graceful and fluid.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceSadly, this camp drama, a eulogy by one of Callas's closest friends, pales in comparison to the four minutes of "La Mamma Morta" in Philadelphia.
- 50New York PostV.A. MusettoNew York PostV.A. MusettoCampy and clichéd.
- 50New York Daily NewsJami BernardNew York Daily NewsJami BernardThis fictional "what if" scenario is a bit campy and stagey, like a session of Opera 101. But it has one great thing in its favor: Ardant.
- 40The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenA lip-synching hall of mirrors, it is essentially a piece of highbrow karaoke.
- 40TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghPoky, oddly uninvolving.