Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Gia Carangi meteorically rises to modeling fame in the late 1970s but becomes overconsumed by persistent loneliness and drug addiction.
Gia is remembered primarily for Angelina Jolie's raw, fearless breakout performance as the doomed supermodel, which elevates the material considerably. The biopic structure is fairly conventional for the TV-movie format, hitting expected rise-and-fall beats, but Jolie's intensity gives it weight beyond the genre. Cinematography is serviceable without being particularly distinctive. The mockumentary framing device adds a modest layer of novelty but doesn't transform the storytelling. The ending is emotionally affecting given the AIDS tragedy but follows a predictable arc.