Maria, the Maria Callas biopic-of-sorts starring Angelina Jolie, is directed by Pablo Larraín and written by Steven Knight.

The star and filmmaker behind one of the festival season's instant hits walks IndieWire through their meticulous process, from real singing to even more real emotion.

To the generations of opera singers that came after her, she’s still an era-defining consummate artist. “She’s an icon. There’s no other way to put it,” said bass Morris Robinson, who recently sang the role of Ramfis in “Aida” with Boston Lyric Opera.

Reality is of little consequence on the stage and in “Maria.” It’s all about the raw feeling, which serves the movie well, more dream than history lesson about La Callas. Early on, she pops some Mandrax and tells her devoted butler Ferruccio (a simply wonderful Pierfrancesco Favino) that a television crew is on the way.

Following "Jackie" and "Spencer," director Pablo Larraín’s film is the third chapter of his trilogy about famous 20th-century women held captive by their celebrity. WBUR critic Sean Burns writes, "It’s finally a role that’s the right size for its star,

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

Angelina Jolie took seven months of voice lessons to portray Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s Maria. The titular opera soprano left an indelible legacy with her unparalleled voice — and with her elegantly bold style,