Gia

"I do be da pittiest, pittiest girl. I do be dat." Gia Carangi

☆☆☆☆☆ Classic 


Gia (1998) comes to life by Angelina Jolie's scorching, reckless performance.


Directed and co-written by Michael Cristofer.


Starring Angelina Jolie, Faye Dunaway, Elizabeth Mitchell and Mercedes Ruehl among many others.


I saw Gia while in my 3rd year repertory season at The Actors Studio MFA Program. I had mastered and understood The Method as taught at The Actors Studio by teachers trained and certified by Lee Strasberg himself. You see The Method in brief character moments within a character action in a scene. Some Method trained actors like Marlon Brando, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe had many Method moments in their film acting careers. Angelina had so many Method moments in Gia that I sat back in awe. One moment really stood out for me as it happened. When Jolie leaps at the fence, nude I thought to myself that Angelina had gone too far and would need psychological help and time out from acting to recover her sanity and her real self. The Method frees us to go recklessly off the deep end on a characterization. Properly trained Method Actors at The Actors Studio know that they need help after losing themselves within a character.

The scene below has nudity and a Method moment. What I love about Angelina's work below and in general is that she can dazzle you more with her characterization then with her physical beauty. Not many people can be so free with their bodies while doing scenes completely nude. Nudity requires a confidence in yourself that few possess. Watch the look in Angelina's eyes as she leaps at the fence. She is completely lost in character. Also look at how confident she is when she is nude. Nudity seems to free Jolie's instrument. I'm happy that Angelina has continued to develop her instrument and expanded her craft to include writing, directing and producing films.

Jon Voight, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Robert Deniro, Al Pacino, Mickey Rourke, Michael Parks and John Malkovich to name a few well known Method Actors all have reached the pinnacle of The Method moment where they can with one action convey an entire characters persona and life. Jolie came close to reaching The Method Moment pinnacle in the scene below. Angelina reached that Method milestone in another movie I will review at a later date. Keep an eye out for Mercedes work opposite Angelina. Not even Angelina in full character can overtake Ruehl in a scene.

I added an interview with the real Gia Carangi. Note how Angelina captured Gia's essence. Poor Gia seems to be high in the interview, but you can see the wild tiger in her that Jolie captured in portraying Carangi.

Film Scene

Trivia - Mila Kunis plays Gia at age 11.

Film Trailer

Gia Carangi Personal Interview

Film Photos - Poster

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Film Transcript

Note - If you would like to view Gia to rent or buy please click on the link below the comments. It is sponsored by Google, so it is the safest and most secure way to get a copy for your film library.

Ultimo Tango a Parigi - Last Tango in Paris

"Go get the butter." Paul

☆☆☆☆☆ Masterpiece 


Ultimo Tango a Parigi - Last Tango in Paris (1972) is a towering tribute to the devastatingly honest and raw emotional performances.


Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.


Starring Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider and Maria Michi among others.


Watching Last Tango in Paris is difficult emotionally, because from the start Bernardo makes it clear that we are on an emotional train wreck. Bertolucci said that the idea for the film came from sexual fantasies: "I once dreamed of seeing a beautiful nameless woman on the street and having sex with her without ever knowing who she was". Bernardo was also inspired by Francis Bacon's paintings.

It's interesting to me what Bertolucci, Brando, Schneider later said of their experiences.
Bertolucci in speaking of Brando stated that "I had so identified myself with Brando that I cut it out of shame for myself. To show him naked would have been like showing me naked". Bernardo was referring to a scene that showed Brando's genitals. Bertolucci later in speaking of Schneider said, " I stole her youth," and, "The girl wasn't mature enough to understand what was going on." and lastly, "I feel guilty, but I don't regret it." As for Brando, he stated  "felt raped and manipulated" and,  "I was completely and utterly violated by you. I will never make another film like that." Schneider stated,  "ruined her life," and, that she considers Bertolucci a "gangster and a pimp." So, what is going on here I asked myself after watching the film and reading what the participants said about their experiences during filming. I think they all exposed themselves so utterly raw and honestly emotionally that they were not prepared for the consequences that followed. I can clearly see Bertolucci uses Brando in his place, since it was his sexual dream that gave the creative birth to the film. I can see Brando feeling the remorse of exposing himself emotionally even more than in A Streetcar Named Desire (1950). What I find truly amazing is how protective and yet vulnerable he was in all his scenes with Maria. Never once did Marlon take advantage of the situation. I can see Maria being way too young and inexperienced emotionally to deal with such a difficult role. I can see that Maria worshipped and fell madly and deeply in love with Brando during and after filming. Schneider was lucky to have had a mature and experienced Brando as her scene partner and mentor. As an actor your first priority is to protect emotionally your scene partner and vice versa.

In the scene below watch Brando let loose emotionally. For me the most beautiful moment was when he used the funeral flowers to remove his dead wife's lipstick. A tour de force performance that Bertolucci wisely kept simple, so as to let Marlon expose himself emotionally.

Film Scene

Trivia - The "Butter Scene" was improvised by Marlon Brando and Bernardo Bertolucci without Maria Schneider's knowledge. Her tears are real, but not the act.

Film Trailer

Film Photos - Posters

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Film Script

Note - If you would like to view Ultimo Tango a Parigi - Last Tango in Paris to rent or buy please click on the link below the comments. It is sponsored by Google, so it is the safest and most secure way to get a copy for your film library.