Dir: John Turturro
2014
***
You'd be forgiven in thinking Fading Gigolo was written and directed by Woody Allen and not just staring him but then look a bit closer and you can see it is a John Turturro film all the way. Woody Allen would have been the Gigolo in his version and it wouldn't have had the impact that only simplicity can bring. John Turturro is a great director and a remarkable actor, he impressed me greatly on both fronts in Fading Gigolo, his fifth film as director. It is a comedy and a romance but it's not really a romantic comedy and is much more beyond that. I think there is a big difference between an actor who directs and a director who has never been in front of the camera. Fading Gigolo isn't about the sex, it's about the people, of a certain age and is very much a New York film. Turturro's Gigolo is a complex character who only lets you get to know him if you look and listen carefully which is not easy when Woody Allen is next to him being Woody Allen but he never once rests on his laurels. He's Barton Fink, he's Bernie Bernbaum, he's Herbie Stempel, he could walk into a room and be any of those guys whenever he wanted to and other actors would if they could, Turturro doesn't though, he gives very little away and in in this case less is most definitely more. I liked it a lot and forgave it (him) its many indulgences but for me the humour element never quite reached its full potential. The supporting cast is impressive but there are no great performances, everyone seeming to play bit parts when really they should have had more elbow room to throw their weight around as all involved could have. I also thought it could have been a little bit more New Yorky for a New York film but I digress, it's a sweet little film that flew under the radar somewhat that deserves a look.
