This film is actor John Turturro’s fifth adventure behind the camera, and it’s somewhat of an oddity.
Starring John Turturro, Woody Allen, Sofia Vergara, Sharon Stone, Vanessa Paradis. Directed by John Turturro.
Undecided whether it wants to be an unorthodox buddy comedy, a sophisticated exploration of sexuality, or a tender romantic drama — it settles as a strange combination of all three that is perfectly adequate yet ultimately underwhelming. Fioravante (Turturro) is between odd jobs when his friend Murray (Allen) posits that he works as a gigolo on the side.
Soon enough, Murray is pimping Fioravante out to women across New York City including attention-starved Dr. Parker (Stone), her unreasonably attractive friend Selima (Sofia Vergara), and a devoutly Jewish widow (Paradis) in an encounter where the sex takes a backseat. It’s a ludicrous premise — Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara paying John Turturro for sex — but for the most part, the film sells it with ease. Turturro proves he’s a dab hand at both comedy and drama, and there’s an air of sophistication about the film that, while feels a little indebted to the films of his male co-star, makes the proceedings thoroughly engaging.
There are some outstanding individual scenes — Turturro’s first encounter with Sharon Stone is a joy to behold — and 'Fading Gigolo' delivers quite a few laughs throughout its humble 90-minute runtime. But while Turturro succeeds admirably as a director, as a writer he is more than a little disappointing.
The eclectic characters (again, feeling somewhat indebted to Allen) are all in place for an intriguing exploration of sexuality and gender politics, but 'Fading Gigolo' barely scratches the surface, ultimately making it a stylish exercise lacking in substance. Dramatic, romantic, and silly — sometimes all three at once — 'Fading Gigolo' is an entertaining diversion that will fade away before too long.
3/5
'Fading Gigolo' is currently screening in cinemas.
