‘Maria’: Angelina Jolie Deserves an Oscar, the Film Less so

While the film’s a blatant Oscar bid, it’s likely there’s no other actress who could have played the lead role better than Oscar-winner Angelina Jolie.

Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie) in front of her make-up mirror, preparing for an outing, in "Maria." Netflix

R | 2h 4m | Biopic, Opera| Dec. 11, 2024

Rather than creating a realistic, gritty story about the renowned diva of all divas—opera singer Maria Callas—Chilean director Pablo Larraín teams up with screenwriter Steven Knight (with whom he worked on “Spencer,” the Princess Diana biopic) to produce a more surreal, painterly treatment. “Maria” is more sensory than story-driven, and mainly for those who prefer their biopics awash in a melancholy beauty.