Eagerly anticipating this week ... (14-24)

Eagerly anticipating this week ... (14-24)
Ali Abassi's The Apprentice (2024)

10/09/2014

Fading Gigolo (2013) - Turturro's pleasant turn as a high-end NY prostitute



The humorous, lush poster for John Turturro's Fading Gigolo

QUICK REVIEW:

In an economical fix, the aging guy Mo gets an idea for how he and his good, younger pal can make some easy bucks: He is going to rent him out as a prostitute.

Fading Gigolo is a cozy time and an enjoyable film that contains some fine reflections on sex and attraction as well as some very photogenic actresses. The Jewish element of the story became a bit heavy at some point for me, a gentile, and it is possible to zone out at times, but over-all, Fading Gigolo is a fine little film.
Woody Allen, writer-director-star John Turturro's (Barton Fink (1991)) co-star in the film, heard about the project at his barber, whom he shares with Turturro.
This is not Turturro's first film as a filmmaker: Actually he debuted way back in 1992 with the drama Mac, which he co-wrote, directed and played the lead in.

Related review:

John TurturroBarton Fink (1991) or, The Writer's Hell (actor)
 
Sharon Stone is one of the sexy women in John Turturro's Fading Gigolo


This poster presents the film as if it was a Woody Allen movie

And this one more as a sensual, erotic film


Watch the trailer here

Cost: 30 mil. $
Box office: 13.3 mil. $
= Huge flop
[Fading Gigolo might have suffered some from its confused marketing (see posters above) and mixed reviews, but its main problem clearly is that it was made way too expensively: It isn't surprising that a sex comedy by Turturro, not a director-name that draws crowds, with heavy Jewish plot-points, doesn't make more than 13.3 mil. $ But, on the other hand, it is a wonder that someone produced that film for 30 and not 5 or 10 mil. $.]

What do you think of Fading Gigolo?
If you have seen other films directed by John Turturro, how were they?

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