Fading Gigolo (2014)

Now if you want your movies to start very quickly, this one is for you. We get a very clear picture of the Woody Allen character. And somewhat of the Turturro character, but not enough.We're then launched into the scenario that a somewhat regular guy in his 50s can readily become a successful gigolo.Uhm---no.We don't have a sense of him. He's very methodical at being a florist. And he had a troubled past. And then Sharon Stone, of all women, fawn over him for no reason. I think I would have bought it if it was some sort of Chauncy the Gardener meets American Gigolo thing. But all I got was essentially an ego piece from Turturro about a kind of boring character who is very good at wooing women, but for no good reason. He was kind of quiet and creepy if you asked me.Mmmmm---kay?Then this character falls in love with the widow---for no good reason. We don't know if this is a breakthrough for this character or not. He's a lonely, weird guy. I'd actually think he'd fall for the first women he slept with. I'd miss it. Not worth the time.

Woody Allen style of story telling hits on themes of the frailties o the human condition and in Fading Gigolo hits some hot spots. Written by John Turturro, this one gives Woody Allen star billing. The need for physical and emotional contact is ageless. The role of risk in our daily is present but diminishes as we get older and less of risk takers. The frame of the story lies in Murray's (Woody Allen) world who after his bookstore fails, he discovers he is good in pin pointing the distress of women around him. What they need is physical affection and after one confesses the desire of a menege a trois, Murray turns to his helpful bookstore clerk Floaante (John Turturro). In the course of the arrange "treatment", Murray becomes a defacto pimp where they venture into setting up woman who is part of a conservative Jewish sect. Funny, witty, and sexy, this film shares that you can find love in all the wrong places.

If the parts played by Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara featured instead, say, Kathy Bates and Imelda Staunton, then there might be some way of taking this film seriously. As it is, no way! We're expected to believe that Stone and Vergara would a) need to pay some guy to have a threesome with them, b) that Stone, playing a Dermatologist, would arrange such a tryst through an elderly client, c) that they'd settle on John Turturro as their ideal man, d) they'd pay him $1000 apiece. If it's not already obvious from that set-up, Fading Gigolo is pretty much a Turturro homage to Woody Allen. Beyond being set in a world where sexy women chase after nebbish guys, the humour, the tone, even the soundtrack is all typical Woody. So it's hardly surprising that Woody is there as the pimp, virtually performing an homage to himself. It's all beyond strange.

The worlds oldest profession is never a dull subject and such is the case in fading gigalo. Very often when I go to talk with a friend or associate about this film I get shot down with "I don't like Woody Allen and "his" movies" and I get that(you don't like dry comedy that doesn't overwhelm but what needs to be understood is that this film is merely costarring Woody Allen as an enjoyable,humorously scheming accidental pimp in this film with John Turtorro handling the writing and direction excellent costars by the eternally seductive Sharon Stone and Sultry Sofia Vergara made this one interesting and fun for me especially Liev Schrieber as an overprotective neighborhood watch that gives sentimental and comedic value to the already comedic duo Of Turtorro and Allen.