Director Pablo Larrain is fascinated by the worlds of high-profile, deeply tormented women. It’s become a career obsession for him, initially taking shape in 2016’s “Jackie” (about Jacqueline Kennedy) and continuing into 2021’s “Spencer” (about Princess Diana). These were tales of hardship, performance, and emotional ruin, keeping the filmmaker on a mission to understand the subjects from a different, more intimate perspective. He returns to duty in “Maria,” which examines at least some parts of opera diva Maria Callas’s experience during her tumultuous life, digging into the misery and confusion that marked her final years of existence. Larrain uses the same dramatic template as before, joined by screenwriter Steven Knight as they attempt to merge the reality of certain behaviors with the poetry of suffering. “Maria” is a clear case of diminishing returns, and even with a fiercely committed performance from star Angelina Jolie, the endeavor remains cold to the touch, primarily focused on style instead of humanity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com