Apprenti gigolo

Okay, this could well have been written and directed by Woody Allen. It has the feel of a Woody Allen picture. New York, Jewish neighborhood, and John Turturro as an unlikely Romeo who will quite possibly win your heart. The longer you watch, the more charm you see in him. Woody Allen as Murray was, well, Woody Allen and if you are a fan, you'll enjoy it. I am. And I did. Perhaps the ending wasn't exactly what I would have chosen at first thought, but I as I walked out of there it seemed as if it was probably about perfect. This won't appeal to everyone, but then not everyone is a Woody Allen type movie aficionado. If you are, you'll like this one. I thoroughly enjoyed a quiet little film sans all the non-stop violence and action that leaves you wiped out and drained by the end of it. Turturro did a fine job on this film. I left the theater with a smile on my face and a feeling that this was a really good little movie.

Murray's dermatologist tells him she wants a threesome with her girlfriend, and Murray provides the services of his friend, middle aged Fiorovante. The cottage industry of "making lonely women happy" expands to include orthodox Jewish widow Avigal, but she is the object of desire of Neighbourhood Watch operative Dovi. Also, the way people feel towards each other can change.

Written by, directed by, and starring John Turturro as the unlikely gigolo Fiorovante, an ungenerous soul might suggest that this improbable sex-based comedy drama was just an excuse for him to film a nude scene with Sharon Stone. But I quite liked it. It is rather inconsequential, and the character Fiorovante is fairly inexpressive and therefore difficult to identify with. Also, Liev Schreiber's Dovi is quite unlikeable, and the developments involving his character aren't that convincing. But, as Murray, Woody Allen - not one of my favourite actors - delivers what is probably the best performance I have ever seen from him: gentle, wryly humorous, and spilling over with humanity. The trademark Allen tics are all there, but I liked Murray a lot. And Vanessa Paradis as Avigal was luminous.

Despite its improbability, this rather odd little drama with comedy engaged and entertained me.

This has all the hallmarks of a Woody Allen metropolitan comedy (with Woody Allen in a lead role) - and John Turturro has written and directed it very much in the style of, say, ANNIE HALL. It's a character-driven morality play about love and sex in the city, with the feel of an upscale repertory company. And it's got Sharon Stone, still just as foxy as when she played Catherine Tramell in BASIC INSTINCT; the notion that a middle-aged man would get paid $1,000 to climb between her sheets is deliciously improbable (and very appealing to this middle-aged viewer).

As we start another summer of CGI-heavy 3D blockbusters, FADING GIGOLO is a welcome return to They-don't-make-movies-like-that-any-more. Luckily, they still do. Great acting, a crisp sophisticated script, smooth direction, a terrific score and a bevy of gorgeous women: 90 minutes of unalloyed joy. Cinema at its best.

Here is a film that is pleasantly unique and special. A film that is a bit different, probably my own misunderstanding, than advertised from the trailers. It's not a bad thing, the trailers brought me to the film, and the film kept my curiosity for the entire length. I liked it quite a bit unsurprising to you dear reader, as you've already seen my rating. The film was written & directed by it's main star, John Turturro, and what a grand achievement it is. Also starring in supporting roles and fantastic to say the least; Sharon Stone, Sofia Vergara, Liev Schreiber, Vanessa Paradis, and New York's own, film legend Woody Allen. I found while watching this film, and though the characters played by Turturro & Allen were enjoyable to watch, I was fascinated mostly with Paradis' character and her story. I'm not Jewish myself, so I'm very naive to the culture and their religious practices, and found it a interesting insight to a, I'm sure, small portion of what it may be like to be of Jewish faith. Though, and I said I was naive to the culture, it may not be entirely true. With that said, I found a film that surprised me positively and thus was quite better than I expected.

John Turturro proofed that he can handle a light comedy as an actor as well as a director. It is easy to see how he got Woody Allen to appear in his film because the story could be by Woody Allen himself and the figure Allen plays sounds as familiar as it can be. Even the Jewish neighborhood fits very well.

The movie starts out with no waste of time as a Woody Allen-style comedy without overdoing it. Allen coaxes Turturro, who works in a flower shop to become a hired lover for rich middle aged ladies. They share the money he gets and Allen spends it for the black! family he lives with. This partnership works out pretty fast and quite successful. But then the story does a sudden turn into deeper emotions when Allen connects him with the widow Avigal who is a devoted Jewess who after two years still mourns her dead husband...

Although many scenes begin as a comedy some end on a very touching note. John Turturro knows when it is best to let the audience guess what will come next. Although a bit of a fairy tale story he never completely leaves the bounds of reality, especially in the end of the film. I left the theater with a smile. (seen at the Viennale - Vienna International Film Festival)