Netflix film Maria, directed by Pablo Larraín from a Steven Knight screenplay, sees Jolie playing the American-Greek soprano in her final days in Paris, as the diva reckons with her identity and life after a glamorous and tumultuous life in the public eye. In real life, Callas died of a heart attack at her Paris home in 1977 at age 53.

And for the first time in years, Jolie is back in the spotlight, in full movie-star mode. Her commanding performance in “Maria” seems assured

Jolie, whose combination of artistry and larger-than-life stardom makes her the only actress who could play this part right now, is luminous.