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HBO Originals - Gia, The Rat Pack, Gotti, A Bright Shining Lie, Truman, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and RKO 281

HBO Originals - Gia, The Rat Pack, Gotti, A Bright Shining Lie, Truman, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and RKO 281

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Chilling portrayal of an icon in the fashion industry
Review: Angelina Jolie is an amazing actress and her performance in this movie is unforgettable. This movie depicts the rise and the downfall of the fashion career of Gia Carangi and depicts her life so truthfully and tastefully. It portrays the entire culture of the 1980's, the drugs, alcohol, all the temptations that this young woman faced and eventually gave in to. It was both amazing and painful to watch Gia struggle with drug addiction, loss of loved ones, rising to the top of the fashion world, being rich and successful and then eventually hitting rock bottom. The movie also portrayed this young woman with what was a new disease called AIDS and the pain she had to go through and having to die at such a young age. With amazing clothes from the booming 80's fashion era, chilling camera shots depicting the pain and joy in Gia's life, superb score and brilliant performances by Faye Dunaway, Mercedes Ruehl, Elizabeth Mitchell Gia is a amazing glimpse into the life and untimely death of this trend setting model and Angelina Jolie being the versatile and real actress she is breathes life into this film making it intelligent, sassy and a tragic story about a young woman nobody will ever forget.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Different Taste, but Delicious. . . .
Review: I generally do not watch films such as this kind, but a friend offered it to me saying it was not like a porn movie or anything, but an intriguing film that makes you want to watch it over again and again. It was truly a sensational film, though I had never heard of Gia Carangi.

It is a film in which starts Gia (Angelina Jolie) as a street/city girl who had no manners and worked for her father in a small restraunt. She was later discovered and introduced to a woman who saw a future in her. The hunch was right. Though Gia was one extroverted character, which made her unfavorable to other models, she was daring and extravagant. She was willing to try new things, and she was not afraid to what extent. She soon became quite popular.

From her first shoot, she met the makup artists, in which she got an uneasy welcome. But at that point, she met a person named Linda. Linda was to be her savior. Linda quickly learned how witty Gia was, not only when she heard Gia's quick retorts, but also when Gia asked her to pose with her in a nude protrait shoot with a photographer. From this point onwards, feelings began to develop and so did Gia's career.

In the beginning, Linda resisted to Gia's seduction and tried to convince herself that she was straight. Linda even retained a boyfriend, which infuriated Gia. Gia then started goijng back to her old ways--drugs and guys, like she did when she first was living in the city.

Anyhow, I will not tell anymore, in fear that I may spoil the whole movie, but this is a film in which I would strongly recommend. Though the genre may not be in the common mainstram, this film is metaphorical and can be related to many themes in life. It can be mixed with fantasy vs. reality, in such that Gia was living in a fantasy, but ended becuae of reality.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Angelina Jolie at her finest
Review: This was an outstanding film of the highest quality. The acting was Oscar quality performances from start to finish. Production quality was good. The story is engaging, vivid, sexual and dark. There is full frontal nude shots so it is not a movie for the very young or very prudish. This movie pulls you in and makes you feel involved in the twisted world of a model superstar. Buy this film and add it to your collection if you like raw truth type films with a twisted sexual feel.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fabulous, dahling!
Review: Angelina Jolie is the Queen of all women. Her performance in Gia was breath-taking. She gave you a real sense of how the late Gia Carangi felt about wanting to be loved, and the constant fear of abandonment by her mother; we really felt that whenever Kathleen left NY, Gia really didnt know if she would return. The most touching relationship is between Jolie and Elizabeth Mitchell (Linda), her on-again off-again lover for 9 years. I wish the real Gia could have experienced the love portrayed in the movie with just that one special person....instead, she sought love in several different people. Elizabeth is fantastic, and although their pairing seems to be an odd one, I think that's what makes it work. The chemistry between Jolie and Mitchell was fantastic, and made for some endearing and hot scenes. The unrated version is great. I am now an AJ fan for life. She is a true professional, a true artist, and just oozes sensuality and sexuality.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: My Favorite Movie of All Time
Review: Gia. One word says it all. Real life story of tragic supermodel is the best film i've ever seen. Beautifully written and directly with absolutely fabulous music and photo shoot montages not to mention the acting which is incredible. Gia's mother is wonderfully portrayed as a typically east-coast neurotic not all there mother. Lynda is played so realisticly i doubt that i can even consider any woman straight again. Every supporting actor on screen is wonderful. But of course the reason why this movie is so good is Angelina Jolie. An amazing actress in an amazing movie shines as bright as any star around. Carrying her role through the highs and lows of Gia which were so draining she EARNED her place in the hollywood elite. The story itself is an extremely remarble one drawing from real life, real people and the diary of the main character's namesake. A profoundly tragic flim which should not for those who cry easily. Don't rent this film if your in the mood for a feel good comedy! This is a film that requires a box of tissues!!! Simply my favorite film of all time.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: This was my first exposure to Angelina Jolie- and wow! This is one of my favorite movies done for HBO. Mercedes Rule as her mom makes a convincing and sympathetic yet realistic narrator.
A must story for fans of 80s documdrama

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Film - Wonderful Acting - Good Storytelling
Review: 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

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Gia: A Tragic Story of the American Dream
Review: While some viewers may be shocked or even disgusted by the graphic love scenes in Gia, it is a film that can be apprecitated nonetheless for its sensitive, yet up-front, portrayal of a young girl who finds herself very quickly thrown into the dark world of the modeling business. Angelina Jolie is perfect as the ill-fated Gia who went from top model to anonymous AIDS case in a welfare hospital. The chemistry between Jolie and her on-screen love interest, Elizabeth Mitchell, is amazing, and Jolie's incredible performance only adds to our feelings of sorrow as dark beauty Gia spirals downward into an underworld of drugs and eventually death. Viewers will be haunted by the the graphic scenes in which Gia finally loses her battle with AIDS. The film contains sporadic documentary-style interviews with Gia's friends and family, and Mercedes Ruehl stands out as Gia's never-quite-there mother. This film will leave viewers breathless as they try to comtemplate how such a fate could befall such a young, beautiful woman who seemed to have everything. This film shoud be seen by everyone for it showcases a problem too often dismissed by a seemingly glamourous profession.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Left me thinking for days- GIA
Review: If you want to understand how a person could ever fall into the world of drug addiction, Gia is the movie. I was never able to understand why a famous, beautiful women could get into that drug. I was never able to comprehend the idea of a lesbian relationship. Gia is a perfect storie to understand and learn the life of a drug addict and the fact that past her relationship with Linda, All Gia wanted was to be loved. Gia's storie is a trajic beauty as well as a beautifully done film. I wouldn't change anything in the film it was perfect. Besides her incredible life, the reason Gia made a huge impact on me was Anjolina Joli's exceptional performance. I believed I was watching Gia. I would compare the film to the movie "Blow" staring MR. Depp. I strongly feel Johnny Depp and Anjolina Joli need to make a film together. To see Two of the most realistic, extreme, talented actors out there would no doubt be powerful. Gia was an incredible film, well written and just unforgettable.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best movie I ever seen...
Review: This movie is so strong,and as i watched i felt like I was there,like I knew the characters,and it will make you cry,such a sad story.I have seen the movie a few times and each time it breaks my heart.Angelina Jolie is an amazing actress.


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