Review of Fading Gigolo (2013) by Jimmy S — 29 Nov 2014

When John Turturro wrote FADING GIGOLO, a film that looks, sounds and feels like a Woody Allen movie, it was only logical that he enlisted Allen to co-star alongside. A crispy clever, mature piece of work, GIGOLO is so unusual in many ways, first and foremost a comedy, with its drama somewhat unsettling and quirky to a fault, FADING GIGOLO is not without its natural charm.

It's likely that the film will not find a wide audience as it seems destined to obtain a cult status for the more mature set. It has a heightened sense of intellect within its context. To top it all off, there's the fine cast that includes Sharon Stone, Sofia Vergara, LIev Schreiber and, most surprisingly, Vanessa Paradis, playing not only against type but against any expectation.

So while the film got buried by middling reviews and never found its audience, it is still bound to appeal to anyone looking for a Woody Allen film that he once used to make. In this particular case, all he had to do is show up on the set up and be himself.