Review of Fading Gigolo (2013) by Alan W — 28 May 2014

Half the film is like one of those all-stars Woody Allen farce and the other half is an indie drama/love story with a hint of Spike Lee (in its racial portrayal substituting African-Americans for the Jewish community) except the joints between the two are not as seamless as it should have been.

It coasts along mainly on the charms of the 2 leads: Allen doing what he has always done as he isn't really known for his range (but he can be very funny when he is utilized right, like he is in this film), while Turturro plays it slightly too stoic at times and a tad too idealistic and perfect at others, but you only believe his character can exist in a fairytale like this one.

But there is also a surprisingly endearing ending that manages to feel both poignant and appropriate which just about push the film from 2 1/2 to 3 stars.