Fading Gigolo **** (2013, John Turturro, Woody Allen, Sharon Stone) – Movie Review

John Turturro and Woody Allen provide a perfect partnership as New York odd couple Fioravante and his friend Murray Swartz in a consistently funny comedy written and directed by Turturro.

Murray’s family rare book business is closing, but never mind, Murray soon has a new business in mind. He recruits his friend and old employee Fioravante, now working as a plumber and florist, as a gigolo. Fioravante’s not in his first flush but he’s tall, dark and handsome – and romantic looking too.

A bit flattered, a bit amused, he agrees to become the ‘ho’ to Murray’s ‘pimp’, the earnings split to be 60 / 40. Fioravante’s first customer is a rich doctor, Dr Parker, played by Sharon Stone. This goes surprisingly well on both sides. Dr Parker wants more. Then her friend Selima (Sofía Vergara) wants to get in on the act. If that means Stone’s Dr Parker is jealous, they could have a threesome.

But all this activity attracts the attention of the local police detective Dovi (Liev Schreiber), who starts snooping around. Soon he is hot on the case when the woman he loves, widowed Avigal (Vanessa Paradis) gets mixed up with Fioravante with a massage to relieve her tension.

Though written and directed by Turturro – very nicely too – this is a Woody Allen film in all but name. It’s set in New York. It explores the tangled romantic webs of a quirky ensemble. It even has a jazz score.

Though second billed after the title, Allen has the big, fat co-starring role and is effortlessly funny. It’s great to have him back doing what he does best, performing and being funny. Turturro’s performance is like his writing and directing, effortlessly smooth and supportive of the other performers. Looking great, Stone does really well, and ditto Vergara. Paradis is charming, sad and appealing, and Schreiber brings a lot of depth, feeling and appeal to what isn’t much more than a stock movie role.

It’s a consistently funny film, as the 90 minutes just goes rushing luxuriously by. More would be great. A sequel would be welcome. Maybe Allen can write and direct it for the two of them next time. Bob Balaban has a cameo as Allen’s lawyer. He and Allen are hilarious together: they should get their own movie too.