Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Fading Gigolo Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 24, 2014

It's the oldest profession.

When is a "Woody Allen movie" a "Woody Allen movie," and when is a "Woody Allen movie" not a "Woody Allen movie?" Must the legendary Allen sit behind the director's chair for it to count? Must he star in the film, must the picture only feel like an Allen movie, or must the picture in question both feel like an Allen movie and see him involved in some capacity, just not in the director's chair? If the answer is the latter, then Fading Gigolo is a Woody Allen movie through-and-through. The film oozes that Allen feel, from its setting to its mildly playful tone, from its characterization to its light interpersonal drama, from its quaint approach to storytelling to its whimsical flair. Allen stars alongside Writer/Director/Actor John Turturro, and the Allen influence is evident in practically every shot seen and line heard. A film with a firmly humorous overlay and a slightly darker character study emotional center, the picture explores basic human need -- both physical need and more intimate, emotional need -- through the eyes of a man who experiences both extremes at the same point in his life.

Working.

Murray (Allen) is permanently closing the doors to his quaint New York used bookstore, a store that's been handed down in the family through the generations. He's short on cash, much like his longtime friend Fioravante (Turturro), a part-time florist. During smalltalk inside the store, Murray tells Fioravante about a secret his dermatologist (Sharon Stone) told him: she wants to engage in a threesome with her sultry friend, Selima (Sofía Vergara), and is willing to pay the right man to perform the act. Murray recommends Fioravante taker her up on the offer. He agrees, she enjoys, and the men split the cash. They start an impromptu business that sees Murray pimping Fioravante to New York's upper-crust women. While the two roll in the dough and await word on the place and time of the threesome, Fioravante meets and grows fond of a client named Avigal (Vanessa Paradis) who remains in mourning following the loss of her husband. Meanwhile, a Jewish neighborhood patrolman (Live Schreiber) begins investigating Murray, suspecting that he's up to no good after watching him loitering while, unbeknownst to him, waiting for Fioravante while the gigolo does his duty.

Fading Gigolo is an adult-centered film with notes of light comedy and medium drama mixed together in a fair, but not necessarily groundbreaking or even deep or dynamic, character study. The film takes a fairly extraordinary circumstance -- a male prostitute, in essence, who, with his friend's help, sells himself to higher-class women -- and tackles it with an almost charming simplicity that evolves into a deeper examination of the human condition. It's essentially a study of intimacy and the distinction between purely superficial connections and deeper, more soulful, more heartfelt, more meaningful, inward connections. The film never really digs too deeply, however, laying all of this out but never doing much with it. The film counts more on simple dialogue blended with precision acting -- the eyes are the window to the soul -- to tell the deeper story. As writer and director, John Turturro mixes in a little too much fluff that sometimes keeps the focus off of an interesting arc and meaningful exploration of the human condition. The film does find the right balance of humor -- it's prevalent but not presented in excess or to any extreme -- yet when it's all said and done, it never quite feels like the film ever finds its rhythm, toying along the periphery of greatness but never fulfilling its promise as either a Sex Comedy for the older generation or a more meaningful exploration of human interactivity suitable for most all viewers of the appropriate age.

Where the film only partially works at its center, it's borderline glorious on top. Woody Allen and John Turturro make for a wonderfully dynamic pair. Their screen chemistry is obvious, whether in casual conversation about the prospects of the threesome in the film's opening minutes (and kudos to Turturro for getting the film off and running and fully focused from the outset, not playing around for ten minutes with needless lead-ins) to some of the more dramatically heavy exchanges they share through the course of the film. Turturro is excellent with the ladies, too, playing not only a convincing gigolo but a man of some depth, slowly evolving depth but depth nonetheless, something that's often glaringly absent in these sorts of films. Stone and Vergara are excellent as the sultry ladies in question, looking and feeling the part both in scenes they share and scenes they share only with Turturro. The film finds its best, and most meaningful, performance from Vanessa Paradis whose character undergoes the most dramatic emotional journey through the course of the story, and it's no surprise it's the journey most defined by her inner persona rather than her outer shell.

Fading Gigolo Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Fading Gigolo's 1080p, 1.85:1-framed, film-sourced transfer satisfies if one can tolerate the heavy warm push. The film is drenched in a red tint that's not severe outside but that inside -- and particularly in darker locations -- lessens the vibrance of any other shade by a considerable margin. Exterior city shots do find some value in bright splashes of color that still favor that warmer push but that aren't overwhelmingly dominated by it. Fine detail is even and pleasing throughout. Woods and wall surfaces, heavily textured exterior accents, clothes, and faces are all nicely presented with rich clarity throughout the film. Neither black levels nor flesh tones (considering the heavy red tint) are troublesome. Likewise, the transfer shows no ills in the form of blocking, edge halos, banding, or other eyesores. This is a quality image, even considering all the red.

Fading Gigolo Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Fading Gigolo features a pleasing Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Obviously, given the nature of the film, there's not much in the way of heavy, sonically assaulting sound effects. However, music is presented with good, consistent clarity and spacing, including an inviting touch of surround support. City din is nicely implemented. Cars shuffle from side to side and other lesser, but no less mood-critical, effects help to define several locations. Dialogue, the dominant, driving sonic factor throughout the film, plays clearly and smoothly from the center. Overall, a good, balanced, easygoing track from Millennium Entertainment.

Fading Gigolo Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Fading Gigolo contains a commentary track and several deleted scenes.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director/Actor John Turturro and John Turturro's Assistant Cameron Bossert share number of interesting pieces to the behind-the-scenes puzzle, including inspirations for characters, shooting on 35mm film and technical details of the shoot, the picture's story and themes, shooting locations, music, and more. This is a quality supportive presentation that fans of the film will enjoy.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Alternate Opening (1:19), Woody Improv (3:05), Sharon in Bed (2:21), Blaaagh (0:25), Stepping on Woody's Toe (0:57), and Jazz Club -- Original Cut (2:54).
• Previews (1080p): Additional Millennium titles.

Fading Gigolo Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fading Gigolo looks, sounds, and feels like a Woody Allen movie, even if it's not quite as polished as his best efforts. It tries, and it's rather good in places, but it's a little overwrought here and a little too unfocused there. There's a quality story and, more importantly, human condition study here, but the former never brings out the latter as richly and thoroughly as it might should have. The performances -- particularly from Turturro and Paradis -- go a long way in shaping the movie where the script cannot, but it's not quite enough to elevate this to must-see, memorable, meaningful status. Still, it's a fun film on the surface that mature audiences without an aversion to the ideas of threesomes and prostitution within the story should enjoy. Millennium Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Fading Gigolo delivers quality video and audio. Supplements include an audio commentary track and a handful of deleted scenes. Definitely worth a rental and perhaps a purchase at an aggressive price point.