While watching the North American premiere of Pablo Larraín’s Maria Callas biopic at the Telluride Film Festival, starring Angelina Jolie as the famed opera singer, I couldn’t help but think of a line from Al Pacino in “The Godfather Part III” (1990): “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”

It's been a while since Jolie has been in contention for a statuette — her last acting nomination was for 2008's "Changeling," and she's since starred in popcorn flicks like "Salt" and "Maleficent" and directed films like "Unbroken." But if you needed a reminder of what a formidable acting talent Jolie is, it's there in her transformative portrayal of one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. It's a chameleonic turn that can best be described as a kind of cinematic possession. Larraín's film, which follows Callas in her final days, should earn Jolie another Oscar invite — and put her among the favorites to take home a second prize, to go along with the one she won for 1999's "Girl Interrupted."

This is the kind of role Jolie has been waiting for more than 25 years, one that fully utilizes her undeniable dedication to a character. In the film’s final moments, her craftsmanship is physically evident: veins pulsing from her temples and her hands flexing as if she’s summoning thespian warlords to help her through whatever terror Callas may have felt in her final moments. It’s a veritable Oscar clip if ever there was one.

Read: All the Academy Awards predictions in all 23 categories can be found on one page in the Variety Awards Circuit: Oscars.