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To play Maria Callas, Angelina Jolie had to learn how to breathe again NEW YORK (AP) — Angelina Jolie never expected to hit all the notes. But finding the breath of Maria Callas was enough to bring things out of Jolie that she didn’t even know were in her. Jake Coyle, The Associated Press Nov 27, 2024 12:15 PM Nov 27, 2024 12:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message This image released by Netflix shows Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas in a scene from "Maria." (Pablo Larraín/Netflix via AP) NEW YORK (AP) — Angelina Jolie never expected to hit all the notes. But finding the breath of Maria Callas was enough to bring things out of Jolie that she didn’t even know were in her. “All of us, we really don’t realize where things land in our body over a lifetime of different experiences and where we hold it to protect ourselves,” Jolie said in a recent interview. “We hold it in our stomachs. We hold it in our chest. We breathe from a different place when we’re nervous or we’re sad. “The first few weeks were the hardest because my body had to open and I had to breathe again,” she adds. “And that was a discovery of how much I wasn’t.” In Pablo Larraín’s “Maria,” which Netflix released in theaters Wednesday before it begins streaming on Dec. 11, Jolie gives, if not the performance of her career, then certainly of her last decade. Beginning with 2010’s “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” Jolie has spent recent years directing films while prioritizing raising her six children. “So my choices for quite a few years were whatever was smart financially and short. I worked very little the last eight years,” says Jolie. “And I was kind of drained. I couldn’t for a while.” But her youngest kids are now 16. 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 of bringing Jolie her third Oscar nomination. (She won supporting actress in 2000 for “Girl, Interrupted.”) For an actress whose filmography might lack a signature movie, “Maria” may be Jolie's defining role. Jolie's oldest children, Maddox and Pax, worked on the set of the film. There, they saw a version of their mother they hadn't seen before. “They had certainly seen me sad in my life. But I don’t cry in front of my children like that,” Jolie says of the emotion Callas dredged up in her. “That was a moment in realizing they were going to be with me, side by side, in this process of really understanding the depth of some of the pain I carry.” Jolie, who met a reporter earlier this fall at the Carlyle Hotel, didn't speak in any detail of that pain. But it was hard not to sense some it had to do with her lengthy and ongoing divorce from Brad Pitt, with whom she had six children. Just prior to meeting, a judge allowed Pitt’s remaining claim against Jolie, over the French winery Château Miraval, to proceed. On Monday, a judge ruled that Pitt must disclose documents Jolie’s legal team have sought that they allege include “communications concerning abuse.” Pitt has denied ever being abusive. The result of the U.S. presidential election was also just days old, though Jolie — special envoy for the United Nations Refugee Agency from 2012 to 2022 – wasn’t inclined to talk politics. Asked about Donald Trump’s win , she responded, “Global storytelling is essential,” before adding: “That’s what I’m focusing on. Listening. Listening to the voices of people in my country and around the world.” Balancing such things — reports concerning her private life, questions that accompany someone of her fame — is a big reason why Jolie is so suited to the part of Callas. The film takes place during the American-born soprano’s final days. (She died of a heart attack at 53 in 1977.) Spending much of her time in her grand Paris apartment, Callas hasn’t sung publicly in years; she’s lost her voice. Imprisoned by the myth she’s created, Callas is redefining herself and her voice. An instructor tells her he wants to hear “Callas, not Maria." The movie, of course, is more concerned with Maria. It’s Larrain’s third portrait of 20th century female icon, following “Jackie” (with Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy) and “Spencer” (with Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana). As Callas, Jolie is wonderfully regal — a self-possessed diva who deliciously, in lines penned by screenwriter Steven Knight, spouts lines like: “I took liberties all my life and the world took liberties with me.” Asked if she identified with that line, Jolie answered, “Yeah, yeah.” Then she took a long pause. “I’m sure people will read a lot into this and there’s probably a lot I could say but don’t want to feed into,” Jolie eventually continues. “I know she was a public person because she loved her work. And I’m a public person because I love my work, not because I like being public. I think some people are more comfortable with a public life, and I’ve never been fully comfortable with it.” When Larraín first approached Jolie about the role, he screened “Spencer” for her. That film, like “Jackie” and “Maria,” eschews a biopic approach to instead intimately focus on a specific moment of crisis. Larraín was convinced Jolie was meant for the role. “I felt she could have that magnetism,” Larraín says. “The enigmatic diva that’s come to a point in her life where she has to take control of her life again. But the weight of her experience, of her music, of her singing, everything, is on her back. And she carries that. It’s someone who’s already loaded with a life that’s been intense.” “There’s a loneliness that we both share,” Jolie says. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think people can be alone and lonely sometimes, and that can be part of who they are.” Larraín, the Chilean filmmaker, grew up in Santiago going to the opera, and he has long yearned to bring its full power and majesty to a movie. In Callas, he heard something that transfixed him. “I hear something near perfection, but at the same time, it’s something that’s about to be destroyed,” Larraín says. “So it’s as fragile and as strong as possible. It lives in both extremes. That’s why it’s so moving. I hear a voice that’s about to be broken, but it doesn’t.” In Callas’ less perfect moments singing in the film, Larraín fuses archival recordings of Callas with Jolie’s own voice. Some mix of the two runs throughout “Maria.” “Early in the process,” Jolie says, “I discovered that you can’t fake-sing opera.” Jolie has said she never sang before, not even karaoke. But the experience has left her with a newfound appreciation of opera and its healing properties. “I wonder if it’s something you lean into as you get older,” Jolie says. “Maybe your depth of pain is bigger, your depth of loss is bigger, and that sound in opera meets that, the enormity of it.” If Larraín’s approach to “Maria” is predicated on an unknowingness, he's inclined to say something similar about his star. “Because of media and social media, some people might think that they know a lot about Angelina,” he says. “Maria, I read nine biographies of her. I saw everything. I read every interview. I made this movie. But I don’t think I would be capable of telling you who she was us. So if there’s an element in common, it’s that. They carry an enormous amount of mystery. Even if you think that you know them, you don’t.” Whether “Maria” means more acting in the future for Jolie, she's not sure. “There's not a clear map,” she says. Besides, Jolie isn't quite ready to shake Callas. “When you play a real person, you feel at some point that they become your friend,” says Jolie. “Right now, it’s still a little personal. It’s funny, I’ll be at a premiere or I’ll walk into a room and someone will start blaring her music for fun, but I have this crazy internal sense memory of dropping to my knees and crying.” Jake Coyle, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More The Mix Travelers who waited to make Thanksgiving trips are hitting the biggest crowds so far Nov 27, 2024 12:26 PM Police deny sitting on evidence as Netflix doc brings renewed attention to JonBenet Ramsey's killing Nov 27, 2024 12:25 PM Industry not consulted on Alberta's plan to challenge federal emissions cap Nov 27, 2024 12:19 PM Featured Flyergolden wealth baccarat 。

Published 5:38 pm Wednesday, December 11, 2024 By Data Skrive One game on the Thursday college basketball schedule features a ranked team, the matchup between the UConn Huskies and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Watch women’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up. Catch tons of live women’s college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.

Big-box retailer Best Buy posted weak earnings and sales in the fourth quarter of 2024 as competition in the retail industry intensifies and customers shop around for deals. The decline in same-store sales follows similar declines in recent quarters led by weak appliance and entertainment sales. Products in these categories are susceptible to macroeconomic conditions and competition from brick-and-mortar and online retailers. “During the second half of the quarter, a combination of the ongoing macro uncertainty, customers waiting for deals and sales events, and distraction during the run-up to the election, particularly in non-essential categories, led to softer-than-expected demand,” Corie Barry, the company’s CEO, said in a statement accompanying the release of the company’s financial results. A softer-than-expected demand has led the company to adjust its full-year comparable sales guidance to a decline in the range of 2.5 percent to 3.5 percent, though it maintained its net income guidance. Jason DeLorenzo, a leading expert in options trading and market dynamics, sees Best Buy’s third-quarter report as reflecting the continued decline in goods purchases over the past year. “Except for a large Christmas quarter last year, Best Buy has seen its EPS decline strongly YoY,” he told The Epoch Times via email. “Generally, the decline started in 3Q of 2022 and has gradually declined. Best Buy typically sells luxury gadget-type items that consumers spend less on over the past several years as supply chain and monetary inflation increase. These items have been less in demand.” Wall Street reacted negatively to Best Buy’s report, sending its shares more than 6 percent lower in early morning trade. The company’s shares are up 16 percent for the year, lagging the S&P 500, which has gained 26 percent. Best Buy is one of many retailers reporting disappointing results and blaming a challenging macroeconomic environment and competition. Last week, Target posted financial results that missed analysts’ expectations, and its CEO made similar statements about the current retail environment. Still, Costco, Walmart, and TJX Companies reported solid third-quarter results, suggesting that the problem of weak earnings and sales is company-specific primarily rather than industry-wide. Best Buy’s recent financial performance confirms that the company is undergoing corporate cycles characterized by expansions and contractions as competition invades its home turf. The company was in a down cycle a decade ago, fighting for survival. Amazon’s entry into electronics retailing turned Best Buy’s most essential advantages (location and scale) into a significant disadvantage. Customers often visit Best Buy’s stores to browse their favorite products, only to purchase them at a discount on Amazon’s website. This price competition from Amazon and high operational costs severely impacted Best Buy, resulting in substantial losses. Business experts and Wall Street analysts predicted the eventual decline of the iconic retailer. But it didn’t happen. The big-box retailer survived and thrived due to Renew Blue, an innovative strategy that leveraged the company’s core competencies to revive sales growth. First, it capitalized on a new retail trend: the merging of online and offline sales. Customers order online and stop by one of the company’s stores to pick up the merchandise on the same day. Second, it expanded the scope of Best Buy’s operations and added more products to its stores to address emerging consumer electronics technology trends such as health technology solutions, home theaters, and computing. Third, it rode another retail trend, the development of “stores within stores,” with technology giants such as Microsoft and Samsung setting up stores inside Best Buy locations. Fourth, it effectively deployed Geek Squad, helping the company bundle the sale of electronic devices with services, which Amazon is missing. However, strategies have limitations. They cannot address the cyclical nature of the retail industry or prevent the competition from devising methods to lure customers. For instance, Amazon has expanded its warehouse and logistics and introduced hub lockers to expedite merchandise delivery and returns. Best Buy’s corporate cycles make its shares risky, which could explain why the stock has been underperforming the broader market over the long run. Over the past three years, Best Buy shares have been down 13.5 percent, while the S&P 500 shares have been up 28 percent. Still, Best Buy’s CEO is optimistic about the holiday season that began early this year. “In the first few weeks of Q4, as holiday sales have started and the election is behind us, we have seen customer demand increase again,” she said.What Happened When Robots Took Over Elon Musk’s Party?

Breaking Down Prosperity Bancshares: 9 Analysts Share Their ViewsAcross the Middle East and beyond, the fall of Syria’s authoritarian government at the hands of jihadi fighters set off waves of jubilation, trepidation and alarm. Expatriate Syrians and many residents across the Middle East exulted at the overthrow of a leader who led his country through 14 years of civil strife that left half a million Syrians dead and displaced millions to countries around the world. Others worried about still more instability rocking a region in turmoil. Governments — whether allies or opponents of Assad — scrambled to absorb the sudden, stunning development and assess the implications for the Middle East and the world. In Lebanon, thousands of Syrians headed for the Masnaa border crossing to return to their home country, despite the uncertainty. “Anything is better than Bashar,” said Sami Abdel-Latif, a refugee from Hama who was heading back to join his wife and four children. “This is a feeling we’ve been waiting 14 years for,” said Malak Matar, who was preparing to return to the capital Damascus. Now, he said, “Syrians have to create a state that is well organized and take care of their country.” Many citizens in Syria’s neighboring countries reacted with joy to news Assad was gone. In Jordan’s capital, Amman, resident Muhab al-Majali said his fall marked the end of “unjust and tyrannical rule.” “I believe that the future is beautiful and prosperous for the Syrians,” he said. Others were not so sure, in a region that saw the energy of the 2011 Arab Spring democracy movement collapse into conflict and authoritarian rule. Saeed Sawy, an engineer in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, predicted that Syria’s rebel groups would descend into infighting over the country’s future. “We saw this happen before,” he said. “We saw this in Libya, in Tunisia, in Yemen and Sudan. People rejoice over the fall of tyrants, then they disagree and fight, and a civil war starts.” Syria’s neighbors stepped up security along their borders. Lebanon said it was closing all but one of its land border crossings with Syria. Jordan also closed a border crossing. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had — temporarily, he said — seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement, after Syrian troops abandoned their positions. Airstrikes were reported on a military airport near Damascus, which has previously been targeted by Israel, and on other Syrian military sites. Iran, a key ally of Assad, said the Syrian people should decide their country’s future “without destructive, coercive foreign intervention.” The Foreign Ministry in Tehran said Iran supports Syria’s unity and national sovereignty, and hopes to see “the end of military conflicts, the prevention of terrorist activities and the start of a national dialogue” with the participation of all groups. The Iraqi government, which is close to Iran, said it “supports all international and regional efforts seeking to open a dialogue” for Syria. Egypt’s foreign ministry urged a “comprehensive political process” to establish a new era of peace in the war-torn county. The head of Yemen’s internationally recognized government welcomed the fall of Assad as “a historic moment.” Yemen’s government is at war with the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran. Turkey has backed anti-Assad fighter groups in Syria, and could play a key role in what happens next. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the fall of Assad brought “hope.” He called on the world to help “unite and reconstruct” Syria. Fidan, who met in Qatar on Saturday with diplomats from Russia and Iran, the main backers of the Assad regime, said regional and global powers should try “to act with prudence and calm.” The war sent millions of Syrians fleeing to Europe and expatriates took to the streets in celebration in cities including Paris, London, Stockholm, Helsinki and Athens. Many European governments welcomed Assad’s departure while urging a rapid return to stability. “The end of Assad’s dictatorship is a positive and long-awaited development,” said Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s newly appointed foreign policy chief, in a post on X. “Our priority is to ensure security in the region. I will work with all the constructive partners, in Syria and the region.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a statement that the end of Assad’s rule was “good news,” adding that “what matters now is that law and order are quickly restored in Syria.” France’s foreign ministry welcomed the fall of Assad, saying “the Syrian people have suffered too much.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also welcomed the end of Assad’s “barbaric regime.” “We call on all sides to protect civilians and minorities and ensure essential aid can reach the most vulnerable in the coming hours and days,” he said. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for calm and urged work to ensure an “orderly political transition to renewed institutions.” Russia, which backed Assad with troops and warplanes, said it has been following the “dramatic events” in Syria “with extreme concern.” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha of Ukraine, which is at war with Russia, wrote on X that the ousted Syrian leader had suffered the fate of “all dictators who bet on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. He always betrays those who rely on him.” In Washington, President Joe Biden was meeting with his national security team Sunday for an update on the situation in Syria. President-elect Donald Trump said in a social media post Saturday, before Assad’s fall was confirmed: “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend, & THE UNITED STATES SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT. LET IT PLAY OUT. DO NOT GET INVOLVED!” The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria, including U.S. forces working with Kurdish allies in the opposition-held northeast to prevent any resurgence of the Islamic State group.Week 12 TNF: Steelers-Browns Preview, Props & Prediction

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The Buffalo Bills offense has been humming like a finely tuned machine over the last five weeks, scoring at least 30 points in each game during that stretch. With offensive coordinator Joe Brady's "everybody eats" mentality powering the Bills to having the third-highest scoring unit in football (29.1 p/g), there are weapons everywhere you look. One weapon that has been getting more work of late thanks to the injury to Dalton Kincaid is fellow tight end Dawson Knox. The Pro Bowler has put together a good fortnight of production in Kincaid's absence, and Brady knows how big it is to have Knox step up in the way he has. “It's huge, Dawson Knox is a Pro Bowl player, and unfortunately, we got a lot of people, it's hard to get the ball spread around to everybody,” Brady said . “He's the most unselfish player on our football team, and when his opportunities comes, he's making the most of it. He's doing an incredible job in the run game, he brings so much value to us and obviously, what happened with Dalton [Kincaid], but just seeing him go in there and not blink, it's always good to see Dawson rolling.” Denny Medley-Imagn Images Prior to Kincaid's injury, Knox had just one game of over 23 yards, and that was against the Seattle Seahawks (50 receiving yards). Related: Bills Captain Earns AFC Honor After Dominating Chiefs But stepping in for Kincaid over the last two games, Knox has posted back-to-back games of 40 receiving yards, with the Pro Bowler picking up the slack for the offense. The team's mentality of not fussing about who gets the targets and how many means they only care about wins. This has pushed the Bills to a 9-2 record and put them in a good position to strike as the AFC's No. 1 seed. And Knox is doing his part for the cause. Related: Bills Player's Wife Takes 3-Word Shot at Taylor SwiftGlobal reaction to Assad’s sudden ouster from Syria ranges from jubilation to alarm