| Fading Gigolo | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | John Turturro |
| Written by | John Turturro |
| Produced by | Bill Block Paul Hanson Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte |
| Starring | John Turturro Woody Allen Vanessa Paradis Liev Schreiber Sharon Stone Sofia Vergara Tonya Pinkins |
| Cinematography | Marco Pontecorvo |
| Edited by | Simona Paggi |
| Music by | Abraham Laboriel Bill Maxwell |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Millennium Entertainment[1] |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 90 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $22.7 million[3] |
Fading Gigolo is a 2013 Americancomedy film directed, written by and starringJohn Turturro. The film, co-starringWoody Allen,Sharon Stone,Sofia Vergara,Vanessa Paradis,Liev Schreiber,Loan Chabanol andEugenia Kuzminapremiered in the Special Presentation section at the2013 Toronto International Film Festival.[4] It was given alimited release on April 18, 2014, and received mixed reviews.
Dr. Parker, a wealthy dermatologist, mentions to her patient Murray Schwartz that she and a woman friend, Selima, wish to experience aménage à trois and asks if he knows a willing man. Murray, whose used bookstore has failed as a business, convinces his friend and former employee Fioravante to take the gig, as both are short of money. Soon, they build a thrivinggigolo 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 aHasidic rabbi, for treatment.
Murray tells Avigal about Fioravante, claiming he's a massage healer who can help her, before taking her to see him. Being tooreligiously observant to evenshake hands with him, she nonetheless allows Fioravante to massage her back. That touch, the first in two years since the passing of her husband, brings her to tears. Meanwhile, Dovi, who works forShomrim, aWilliamsburg, 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 plannedménage, but he's unable to finish it. The two women cheerfully realize the truth—he has fallen in love. Murray is kidnapped by a group of Hasids, taken to aRabbinic Court and interrogated. Avigal interrupts the court and confesses to violating thelaws of modesty, but nothing more, explaining she was lonely. Avigal now accepts Dovi, but has him drive her to Fioravante to say goodbye. Fioravante tells Murray he is leaving, though he reconsiders after a café encounter with another beautiful woman.
Fading Gigolo screened in the Special Presentation section at the2013 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2013.[5] It received a limited release in the United States on April 18, 2014.[6]
Fading Gigolo received mixed reviews. On film aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes, the film has a 55% approval rating, with an average score of 5.85/10, based on reviews from 143 critics. The website's critical consensus states: "Admittedly vulgar and ludicrous,Fading Gigolo gets a surprising amount of mileage out of the entertaining chemistry between its starring duo".[7] On another website,Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on reviews from 38 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[8]
Geoffrey Macnab ofThe Independent gave the film three out of five stars, noting that "Turturro's trick is to take stereotypical characters and to portray them in an offbeat and surprising way."[9] Peter Debruge ofVariety 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.[5]
Catherine Shoard ofThe Guardian praised Woody Allen's performance, stating that "Turturro has given Allen his biggest and best on-screen turn in years".[10]Stephanie Zacharek ofThe Village Voice called the film "a breeze, enjoyable both for its sweetness and its unapologetic silliness".[11]
The movie grossed $3,769,873 domestically and $18,936,431 in other territories giving a total gross of $22,706,304.[3]
