Average Rating: 
Rating:  - "A capturing performance by Angelina Jollie"
If you are an Angelina Jolie fan, this may already be your all-time favorite AJ performance. If you are not an AJ fan yet, you will be after you see this amazing true story drama of Gia Marie Carangi. Gia grew up in Philadelphia, her parents had seperated when she was young which had left her looking for real love the rest of her life. She later met Wilhemina Cooper who became her modeling agent, and Gia's life took off from there. Gia also meets the woman of her dreams, and their romance throughout the movie was breathless and also slightly tear-jerking. Aside Angelina's powerful performance, she was well supported with great co-stars including Elizabeth Mitchell who played "Linda" Gia's love. It is a Romance that can never be forgotten. -This is a must see movie.
Rating: - From a gay perspective, this is a must-see movie
While "Gia" certainly is a sobering look at the short life and tragic death of Gia Carangi, 80's supermodel, this movie also gets a five star rating for its depiction of the relationship between Gia and her lover Linda. (Unfortunately, the character Linda never really existed in real-life; this is an amalgamation of different relationships Gia had with women.) However, kudos must be given to Angelina Jolie and especially Kathleen Mitchell for the heat and chemistry these two put on the screen. Unlike many movies that depict both the affectional and sexual realtionships between two women, wherein the actresses look as though they are either sleep walking or don't have a clue how two women might interact with one another on an other-than- friends basis, these two actresses capture the whole picture. From the performance that shows up on screen, you could swear that it isn't just acting. They get every nuance, from eye contact to touch. However, you have to get the Unrated version, not the R rated version, to really get the whole picture. The Unrated version contains scenes that go much farther in explaining how Gia's relationship, even if fictional, is the emotional core of this movie. Especially fun is the extended version of Gia and Linda having dinner together when Gia moves back to Philadelphia. While the R version only gives us a peck on the lips at the dinner table, the unrated version contains several of what appear to be outtakes from filming, that are special because of the good humor that the two actresses seem to share in filming a great physical-but-with-clothes-on scene, several times. The initial scenes with Gia and Linda in the photography studio, as well as in bed for the first time, also give a more extended view of the heat between the two characters.If you're tired of politically correct lesbian movies featuring women who look like they need a bath and a good haircut, this is definitly one to rent. I'm only left with a couple of questions: Who is Kathleen Mitchell? Has she ever been in anything else? Angelina Jolie deserves the kudos she's gotten for portraying Gia, but Mitchell deserves a ton for bringing a real-live formerly heterosexual woman who meets someone that changes her mind to life with such a fine, nuanced performance.
Rating: - A Great Film - Wonderful Acting - Good Storytelling
This is it folks - a genuine "breakout performance". We don't get them often enough so we should pay attention when we do.WARNING ::: This review reveals some plot points ! "Gia", a film for HBO, stars Angelina Jolie, Faye Dunaway, Elizabeth Mitchell and Mercedes Ruehl. This film is the life-story of Gia Carangi, one of the first "supermodels". How big a star/model was Gia? Well, Cindy Crawford was dubbed the "young Gia" and the "next Gia" - that's how famous she was. Unfortunately, besides being the "face" of the day in the modelling world, she was also fairly famous for her drug addiction and ultimate fall from grace. If you want a more indepth depiction of Gia's life - there are a couple of books available. The best being "Thing of Beauty: The Tragedy of Supermodel Gia". Back to the film. Angelina Jolie BECOMES Gia in every sense of the word. Her performance is one of the best portrayals of real people in years. She is completely and utter believable. She captures what is surely the essense of Gia. She brings a desparate wanting to the character that you can feel. Elizabeth Mitchell ( recently of "ER" fame ) co-stars and really provides an excellent touch-stone for Gia's tortured existance. There's nothing pretty about this film - it shows the whole story, the drugs, the parties, the sex, the pain and the suffering. It depicts, with little filter, the USING of Gia and her decent into her fate. It's no surprise that Angelina won a Golden Globe for this amazing performance. It's no surprise that she was nominated for an Emmy either. You're not able to take your eyes off her. As a matter of fact, this is a much awarded film - including a best actress award for Angelina Jolie at the LA Outfest. Faye Dunaway is mainly here for star power - almost as if they weren't sure Angelina Jolie could pull it off. She's okay here, but we all know that Faye has done some amazing work and here, she sort of phones it in. Mercedes Ruehl plays Gia's mother and she does a good job. She's a little over the top but you suspect it's an accurate portrayal. For the Angelina Jolie fan - it's a MUST SEE, MUST OWN film. For others, it really is worth the time and money. You don't often get a chance to see a young star make an amazing film like this. You'll see small tales of "Lisa" from her Academy Award winning performance in "Girl, Interupted" in Gia, but mostly you'll see an INCREDIBLE performance by Angelina Jolie. Really remarkable. FYI : There is an UNRATED version available on VHS that is currently not available on DVD. The UNRATED version contains more explict scenes ( specifically the shower sequence is longer ). In all, a great film. Well written, directed and acted. A real gem. Thank you HBO. All The Best, turtlex
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