Jolie Weeps as "Maria" Premiere Earns 8-Minute Standing Ovation in Venice
The Venice Film Festival, renowned for its adoration of cinematic stars, showered Angelina Jolie with an outpouring of affection on Thursday night. The actress, starring in Pablo LarraÃn's biographical drama "Maria", was moved to tears during an eight-minute standing ovation at the Sala Grande Theatre, the film's world premiere.
This emotional response echoes the reception Brendan Fraser received in Venice in 2022 for "The Whale", where his acceptance of the applause cemented his career comeback. Jolie, similarly overwhelmed, fought back tears and at times turned away from the cheering crowd as she embraced LarraÃn and her castmates.
The film, tipped as an Oscar contender, positions Jolie for a potential Best Actress nomination, her first in 15 years. (She was previously nominated for her role in Clint Eastwood's "The Changeling" in 2009 and won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2000 for "Girl, Interrupted").
"Maria", slated for release on Netflix later this year, ignited a fervent anticipation for Jolie's performance long before the screening. A dedicated group of Italian fans camped out overnight on Wednesday, braving scorching temperatures, to secure a prime spot for an encounter with their idol on the red carpet.
Jolie, known for her graciousness, obliged her admirers, signing autographs and taking selfies. She even made a point of meeting a fan with brittle bone disease who had been brought to the carpet on a bed, kneeling beside him as she greeted him amidst the flashing paparazzi lights.
"Maria" marks a reunion for LarraÃn and writer Steven Knight, whose previous collaboration, "Spencer", debuted in Venice in 2021. The film depicts the "tumultuous, beautiful, and tragic story of the life of the worldâs greatest opera singer, relived and re-imagined during her final days in 1970s Paris".
This biographical drama is the third in LarraÃn's trilogy of films exploring the lives of iconic women, following "Spencer" and 2016's "Jackie", which chronicled Jacqueline Kennedy in the aftermath of her husband's assassination. However, "Maria" draws parallels to "Judy", the 2019 biopic that earned Renée Zellweger an Oscar for her portrayal of a troubled Judy Garland, highlighting the pitfalls of fame.
At a press conference earlier in the day, Jolie opened up about her experience preparing to embody the renowned soprano Maria Callas, her first time singing for a role.
"Everybody here knows, I was terribly nervous," she shared, describing her journey to learn opera. "I spent almost seven months training because when you work with Pablo you canât do anything by half. He demands, in the most wonderful way, that you really do the work and you really learn and train."
