Fading Gigolo

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Fading Gigolo
Fading Gigolo poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Turturro
Produced by Bill Block
Paul Hanson
Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte
Written by John Turturro
Starring John Turturro
Woody Allen
Sharon Stone
Sofia Vergara
Vanessa Paradis
Liev Schreiber
Music by Abraham Laboriel
Bill Maxwell
Cinematography Marco Pontecorvo
Edited by Simona Paggi
Production
company
Distributed by Millennium Entertainment[1]
Release dates
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  • September 7, 2013 (2013-09-07) (TIFF)
  • April 18, 2014 (2014-04-18) (United States)
Running time
 90 minutes[2]
Country United States
Language English

Fading Gigolo is a 2013 American comedy film directed, written by, and starring John Turturro. The film, co-starring Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Sofia Vergara, Vanessa Paradis, and Liev Schreiber, premiered in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.[3] It was given a limited release on April 18, 2014, and received mixed reviews.

Plot

Dr. Parker, a wealthy dermatologist, mentions to her patient Murray that she and a woman friend, Robbie, wish to experience a ménage à trois and asks if he knows a willing man. Murray, whose used bookstore has failed, convinces his friend and former employee Fioravante to take the gig, as both are short of money. Soon, they build a thriving gigolo trade with Murray as the pimp. Murray lives with Othella and her children, one of whom gets head lice. Murray takes the boy to Avigal, the attractive widow of a Hassidic rabbi, for treatment.

Murray tells her Fioravante is a massage healer who can help her and takes her to see him. Too observant to even shake hands with him, she nonetheless allows Fioravante to massage her back and that touch, the first since well before her marriage to her husband, brings her to tears. Meanwhile, Dovi, who works for Shomrim, a Williamsburg, Brooklyn neighborhood patrol, becomes suspicious and follows Murray. Dovi is in love with Avigal, but she does not encourage him. Fioravante and Avigal meet several more times, culminating in a kiss in the park.

Fioravante is summoned to the long planned ménage, but is unable to finish. The two women cheerfully realize the truth—he has fallen in love. Murray is kidnapped by a group of Hassids, taken to a Rabbinic Court, and interrogated. Avigal interrupts the court and confesses to violating the laws of modesty, but nothing more, explaining she was lonely. Avigal now accepts Dovi, but has him drive her to Fioravante to say good bye. Fioravante tells Murray he is leaving, but reconsiders after an encounter with a beautiful woman.

Cast

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Release

Fading Gigolo screened in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2013.[4] It received a limited release in the United States on April 18, 2014.[5]

Reception

Fading Gigolo received mixed reviews. On film aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 54% rating, with an average score of 5.9/10, based on reviews from 125 critics. The site's consensus states: "Admittedly vulgar and ludicrous, Fading Gigolo gets a surprising amount of mileage out of the entertaining chemistry between its starring duo".[6] On another website, Metacritic, it has a 58/100 score (indicating "mixed or average"), based on reviews from 38 critics.[7]

Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, noting that "Turturro's trick is to take stereotypical characters and to portray them in an offbeat and surprising way."[8] Peter Debruge of Variety gave it a favorable review. "It certainly benefits from having Allen aboard, though only Turturro would fight to bring such a warm and disarming experiment to the screen", he said.[4] Catherine Shoard of The Guardian praised Woody Allen's performance, stating that "Turturro has given Allen his biggest and best on-screen turn in years".[9] Stephanie Zacharek of The Village Voice called the film "a breeze, enjoyable both for its sweetness and its unapologetic silliness".[10]

References

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External links

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