John Turturro who is the director and lead actor in Fading Gigolo, is cash-strapped. He plays Fioravante who works at a bookstore run by his friend, Murray (Woody Allen). The bookstore has to shut shop, and both Murray and Fioravante are in need of money. At the same time, Murray happens to visit his dermatologist, Dr. Parker (Sharon Stone) who expresses a desire in a ménage à trois. Murray suggests that he has a friend who might be willing to lend his services for the same. When Fioravante comes to know about Murray’s schemes, he takes off.
Eventually, Murray convinces Fioravante to play a gigolo. Dr. Parker and soon her friend, Selima (Sofia Vergara) are introduced to him. Later on in the movie, he falls in love with a widow, Avigail (Vanessa Paradis) who is recovering from the death of her husband. All the elements of a fine dramedy are there in this movie. It has some funny dialogues that are characteristic of Woody Allen movies.
The acting is top-notch, especially John Turtutto, Woody Allen and Vanessa Paradis. Liev Schreiber is funny as Dovi, a cop who is in love with Avigail. The movie deals with a sensitive topic with the right amount of maturity. However, one feels that there is scope for more humor in the story that is not fully exploited. Also, at times the movie drags, and this mars its overall flow. There are some scenes that could have been avoided that serve only to distract from the main story. The finale of the movie is where it scores heavily. All said and done, at an hour and half Fading Gigolo doesn’t go awry many times.
The background score sets the mood for many scenes in Fading Gigolo. The locales go along with the theme of the story. All the actors play their parts extremely diligently, and the movie is well-directed by John Turturro. Some viewers might find the tempo a bit slow, however, those who can stick with it will find it satisfying. There is nothing too jazzy about Fading Gigolo, and yet in a subtle way it manages to entertain you, only just.
What do you think?