Most adolescent girls, when asked what they would like to be when they grow up, say that they want to be supermodels. From outside it really looks like a dream job - earning enormous amounts of money and fame for something as simple as looking pretty. Some of those adolescent girls would perhaps reconsider if they see what can happen to supermodels in real life. One of those sad tales is the subject of Gia, 1998 biopic directed by Michael Cristofer.
Protagonist of the film is Gia Marie Carangi (played by Angelina Jolie), woman who entered history books as one of the first modern supermodels. The film starts in late 1970s, when Gia, as rebellious 17-year old girl, leaves her family home in Philadelphia in order to pursue modelling career in New York. Despite her temper and despite her beauty being outside traditional standards, Gia, under the guidance of an experienced agent Wilhelmina Cooper (played by Faye Dunaway), becomes one of the most popular faces of fashion industry. With that comes instant fame and money Gia couldn't have dreamed of. However, just many young people who quickly reach the top, Gia is going to quickly reach the bottom. Unable to resist temptations of supermodel lifestyle, Gia succumbs to cocaine and, later, heroin. Her career collapses, but her family, together with lesbian lover Linda (played by Elizabeth Mitchell), decides to help her fight addiction. Gia sobers up, but she still doesn't feel very well. It turns that, together with drugs, she injected something else into her body – virus responsible for new, mysterious disease called AIDS.
Biography of drug-abusing bisexual supermodel could have led director Michael Cristofer to make two mistakes - turn Gia into exploitation trash or puritanical sermon against drug use, irresponsible promiscuity and other 1970s hedonistic excesses. Cristofer avoided such mistakes and concentrated solely on the character of Gia, using the supermodel's real life diary. Another Cristofer's successful technique is mixing scenes from Gia's life and interviews with Gia's friends, acquaintances and family members. Not all of those techniques work - at some times mixing of colour and black-white-cinematography looks too "artsy".
What makes Gia stand out among similar films made for cable television is very good acting. Angelina Jolie has got "Golden Globe" for her portrayal of Gia, and this award looks well deserved. Jolie invested a lot of energy into making a supermodel - what most people believe to be uninteresting airhead - into real human being with which the audience can sympathise with. Male segments of the audience would, of course, appreciate the fact that Jolie not only appears naked in the film, but also has couple of explicit lesbian scenes with Elizabeth Mitchell. Gia also features superb acting by veterans like Faye Dunaway and Mercedes Ruehl.
Because of good acting, intelligent screenplay and its ability to present the facts while allowing viewers to make their minds, Gia represents one of the best biopics to come Hollywood in 1990s.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on May 12th 2004)
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