Mon Dec 16 23:30:00 UTC 2024: ## Jolie’s Callas Biopic: A Moving Tribute, and a Canine Challenge
**NEW YORK** – Angelina Jolie’s portrayal of opera legend Maria Callas in the new Netflix film *Maria* is generating significant Oscar buzz, but the actress reveals the biggest challenge wasn’t mastering opera singing. In an interview with director Pablo Larraín, Jolie confessed that training her Hungarian-speaking canine co-stars proved more difficult.
The film, directed by Larraín (who previously helmed Oscar-nominated biopics *Jackie* and *Spencer*), focuses on Callas’ final days, weaving together flashbacks and documentary-style interviews. It explores the complexities of the singer’s relationships, eccentricities – and her beloved poodles. Larraín, whose lifelong love of opera inspired the project, aims to make the art form more accessible to a wider audience.
Jolie’s performance is already receiving considerable critical acclaim, with predictions of a third Oscar nomination for the actress. She delves deeply into Callas’ difficult relationship with her demanding mother, contrasting it with her own positive experiences with her late mother, Marcheline Bertrand, a former actress who instilled in Jolie a love for acting and the exploration of human emotion. Jolie’s preparation for the role involved intensive Italian lessons and studying Callas’ mannerisms and voice. Her operatic vocals in the film are a blend of her own singing and Callas’ original recordings.
The film’s emotional core, according to Larraín, centers on Callas’ journey to self-acceptance and prioritizing her own artistic voice over external pressures. Jolie echoes this theme, emphasizing the importance of cherishing close relationships and finding peace within oneself. The film, she says, is a tribute not only to Callas but also to her own mother. *Maria* is streaming now on Netflix.
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