- Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24
- Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
- Region: ABC (Region-Free)
- Rating: NR
- Run Time: 125 Mins.
- Discs: 1 (1 x Blu-ray)
- Studio: HBO Home Entertainment
- Blu-ray Release Date: November 8, 2011
- List Price: $14.98
[amazon-product]B005ERX20E[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Gia: Unrated on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
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The Film
[Rating:4/5]
This 1998 HBO television biopic features Angelina Jolie (The Tourist) in a riveting performance as the supermodel Gia Carangi who rose to fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the fashion world before succumbing to drug abuse and, finally dying at a young age in 1986 from AIDS, one of the first women in the United States to be die from the disease. The story follows her rise from a young girl whose left mother left her behind, through her rebellious teen years and time as a model, all the time seeking mother figures, like fashion agent Wilhelmina Cooper (Faye Dunaway) or girlfriend Linda (Elizabeth Mitchell; TV’s LOST; V).
This is arguably the role that made Jolie the big star that she is today, showing that she was far more than beautiful, but also an incredible actor. Gia is a heartbreaking story and Jolie is perfect in the role.
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
There is a mixture of video and film segments in this film. Obviously, these video segments don’t look as good as what was captured on 35mm film, but the film segments come to Blu-ray looking quite good in this AVC/MPEG-4 1080p/24 transfer from HBO. There are a few spots where the picture looks like it could have been darkened a bit more more and contrast improved, but generally detail is strong, colors look good, and there is a nice, fine layer of grain and a film-like quality to the picture.
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
There’s nothing special at all about this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix from HBO. It is straightforward, front-heavy, and with surround channels that are rather stagnant throughout. Dialogue, however, is clean, clear, and full straight through the mix and there’s a good amount of low frequencies.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0/5]
There are no supplements on this release.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:3.5/5]
Although there are no extras on this barebones disc, this release of Gia is a great chance to see Angelina Jolie starring in one of her early star making roles as the tragic figure Gia Carangi. The rather low $14.98 list price makes it not too bad a deal. Recommended.
Additional Screen Captures
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[amazon-product]B005ERX20E[/amazon-product]
BestBuy.com:
Purchase Gia: Unrated on Blu-ray at CD Universe
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:3.5/5]
The Film
[Rating:4/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:3.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:0/5]
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