Fading Gigolo (2013)

Genre

Comedy

Director

John Turturro

Country

USA

Cast

John Turturro, Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Paradis, Liev Schreiber, Tonya Pinkins, Max Casella, Aida Turturro, Bob Balaban, Michael Badalucco, David Margulies, Aurélie Claudel, Loan Chabanol

Storyline

With his friend Murray (Woody Allen) acting as his pimp, Fioravante (John Turturro) starts a male prostitution business.

Opinion

Woody Allen is no actor, he just happens to act. Most of the time he does so in films written and directed by him. Sometimes he allows someone else to direct him, like in the brilliant "Play It Again, Sam". So, I thought, if he picks a film, he gotta see some potential in it, and that's why I decided to watch this film.

Unfortunately "Fading Gigolo" is a comedy that is not funny. Or maybe it was supposed to be a drama, but we would still be having a problem here because drama is another of those things the film lacks. 

The film features a story that may seem interesting at first - Turturro basically stole from Allen - but eventually ends up being unengaging, not so bright, flat, and tedious.

And it's a shame because a part of the story actually works quite well: the relationship/chemistry between Allen and Turturro. When focused on them, the film is slightly interesting and seems a little witty as well. When focused on the other characters, all of Turturro's women, the film just doesn't work.

It does something good though, like making a satire on the religious fanatics and showing how hard it is to live in a society full of moral or cultural rules and where one is supposed to do what one is supposed to do - am I making any sense?

Anyway, just like I mentioned before, the chemistry between Allen and Turturro is great, and even though neither of them is able to make you laugh it's still quite nice to see them. As for the female cast, while Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara are obviously in the film to attract a bigger audience, the one shining is Vanessa Paradis who plays the widow of an orthodox rabbi.