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

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Summary: Tragedy vs. Triumph: Not Allowing Yourself to be Loved
Review: Wow do I love this movie!! It captures the true essence of needing to be loved. Gia just couldn't allow herself to be loved; she believed she didn't deserve true devotion and love. There was so much "artificial love" surrounding her that she didn't know herself what "true love" was. I am so moved by this movie that I can't wait to buy a copy. I have rented it over 25 times since it was released on video. Angelina Jolie did an excellent job and was so into her character. I am so glad that she won the Golden Globe for her performance. She is awesome!! I love how the movie made you look at life and not to take anything forgranted. Strive for your dreams and most importantly follow your heart. I learned to rely on the people who love me and not to try and handle my problems on my own. Tell that special person that you love them; and cherish everyday. Go rent it today and you will be touched.

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Summary: A great movie: Angelina Jolie shines her brightest yet!
Review: This movie is great! It manages to be both tragic and enlightening. It realistically captures the world of models, drug abuse and the life of a beautiful spirit named Gia. It is sad to see how the up and downs of fame & fortune and a desperate need to find love can lead a person down a destructive path. Angelina Jolie captured my heart as Gia, She portrayed the beautiful actress as no one could. This movie is Angelina Jolies best and one of my favs for 1998. This movie gets my 5 stars and 2 thumbs up!

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Summary: Another extraordinary performance by Angelina Jolie
Review: In this intense and heartfelt film, Angelina Jolie captures the essence of the sad and turbulent spirit of Gia Marie Carangi, the fashion model who struggled with abandonment, fame and drug addiction. Elizabeth Mitchell is Linda, a character who represents several of Gia's relationships. She is an angelic "square" whose attempts to put Gia on the right track are constantly frustrated. Although the film takes some poetic license with this enduring love interest, it does provide us with an accurate glimpse of the kind of monogamous relationship Gia longed for but was unable to obtain. Faye Dunaway as Whilhelmina Cooper (Wilhelmina Models founder)and Mercedes Ruehl as Kathleen Sperr (Gia's mother) are wonderful. Ruehl has a complex character to portray. The movie will not win the modeling industry any new friends, and you'll think twice if you were planning on farming your daughter out to young miss fashion competitions. Angelina Jolie as Gia lets us learn from her mistakes and the movie leaves an indelible mark that cannot be airbrushed away.

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Summary: I love this movie
Review: This movie is very well played by Angelina Jolie. I think that Angelina is always a very good actress, so always buy all her movies.

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Summary: For Those With An Open Mind
Review: I saw the movie four times! It moved me in a way only some movies can do. The story and the acting were great! When viewing this movie, read between the lines. Go beyond the exterior beauty and you see a freightened child searching destructively for answers as to the purpose of life. Too vulnerable to life and to living. Her purpose was clear to me.

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Summary: The Best Movie of the decade
Review: Great movie with real acting. Angelina Jolie was remarkable and it shows (she won a golden globe) Great movie see it it will make you realize many things.

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Summary: Better Than Expected!
Review: I read the book "Thing of Beauty" when it first came out, and was saddened and moved by it. Although the video wasn't always true to the real story, I thought it was convincingly acted, and I especially liked the cinematography. I am not often moved by movies like this, but this one got to me. It managed to show how quickly a sensitive soul can be destroyed in the "fast lane," and that this destruction can be aided and abetted by those who call themselves your friends. Kudos to Jolie and Ruehl, especially.

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Summary: From a gay perspective, this is a must-see movie
Review: 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.

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Summary: IT WAS THE MOST TOUCHING FILM.
Review: I AM THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO DON'T CRY IN ANY MOVIES, WELL USUALLY BUT WHEN I WAS WATCHING GIA IT REALLY GOT TO ME. OVERALL IT IS A GREAT VIDEO WITH GREAT CAST AND STORY AND DIALOGUE, YOU HAVE TO SEE IT FOR YOUR SELF TO FEEL THE MAGIC OF THE BEST SUPER MODEL THAT HAVE EVER LIVED.

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Summary: a very pesonal and tragic life story.
Review: the movie is a very sensitive subject that many people are faced with. Angelina Jolie portrays Gia as she really was. this movie is very tragic because it is true and could happen to anyone. I think that this movie is reaaly good.