Touches You

Absolutely the worst movie.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Blistering performances.

Fading Gigolo actually has much more about Hasidic Jews than I expected, and a touching core plot about a widow's emotional awakening thanks to the not always being in the stuffy world of Hasidics. But when it's the Woodman and Turturro or most anyone else on screen like his adopted black kids (lol) - and of course there's the whole running gag of beautiful women like Sharon Stone and Sofia Vegara paying to have sex, including a three way, with Vito from Do the Right thing as a middle aged man - it's exceedingly amiable.Occasionally it's very funny (and I was chuckling and or tittering through much) and in a couple of scenes Allen shows he's a good actor (which, you know, you always expect him to be wisecracking woody and he is but a couple of times he shows that he can reveal restraint, thinking on his feet, other things), but watch him in certain scenes, like when he comes to a realization with a woman character. His mind is working as is his emotions, and it clicks in a way we haven't seen with him in... Deconstructing Harry maybe? It's a good little New York City movie that is better than it has any right to be based on its silly but intrinsically amusing premise, and for a fair chunk of the run time it does take seriously the constructive world of Hasidics in Brooklyn and what happens when Liev Schreiber gets jealous and has to face his own complex emotions.

The worlds oldest profession is never a dull subject and such is the case in fading gigalo. Very often when I go to talk with a friend or associate about this film I get shot down with "I don't like Woody Allen and "his" movies" and I get that(you don't like dry comedy that doesn't overwhelm but what needs to be understood is that this film is merely costarring Woody Allen as an enjoyable,humorously scheming accidental pimp in this film with John Turtorro handling the writing and direction excellent costars by the eternally seductive Sharon Stone and Sultry Sofia Vergara made this one interesting and fun for me especially Liev Schrieber as an overprotective neighborhood watch that gives sentimental and comedic value to the already comedic duo Of Turtorro and Allen.

FADING GIGOLO is at heart a comedy of two movements, which do not exactly cohere but are fascinating to watch nonetheless.One movement focuses on the male buddy relationship between Floravante (John Turturro), a flower-shop worker who decides to become an upper-class whore; and Murray (Woody Allen), who acts as his pimp. The two of them concoct the scheme to make money out of Floravante's body: Murray not only does it for the money, but to take vicarious pleasure in hearing about Floravante's experiences. Murray himself is the kind of man who talks a lot but cannot act: we know that most of the things he tells about his past are simply lies. Allen's portrayal of the character is masterly; his dialog full of uncertain pauses and caesuras as he tries his best to convince his interlocutors of the truth about what he says. Turturro comes across as something of a lost soul; a basically kind person with not much idea about his future. At the end of the film he vows to "go away" somewhere, but Murray soon talks him out of it when they encounter a pretty woman in a Brooklyn café. They remain buddies for life.The film's second movement is a much darker one, focusing on the burgeoning relationship between Floravante and Avigal (Vanessa Paradis), a Jewish woman who hitherto has led a sheltered life among her own kind. They never actually make love; but they are obviously attracted to one another. Director Turturro shoots two memorable sequences, one in a wood, the other in Floravante's house, in a series of close-ups and two-shots that signals the closeness of their relationship. Unfortunately Avigal is part of a community that believes she should lead a sheltered life; when she visits Floravante, she is pursued by rogue officer Dovi (Liev Schreiber). Eventually Murray becomes involved in the intrigue as well. Through such sequences Turturro makes some telling points about the ways in which women are still prevented from expressing themselves in patriarchal societies.Eventually the relationship between Floravante and Avigal ends (it has to, to endure the future health of the Jewish community), but we are left in doubt as to whether Avigal will enjoy future happiness, despite Dovi's protestations of love for her.Turturro - who wrote the script as well as directed the film - includes several nice jokes in the film, while focusing in detail on the relationship between the three protagonists. Nonetheless, I am still not sure whether the two movements cohere - or are actually meant to cohere.

Actor-Director John Turturro's "Fading Gigolo" was fading my attention span sporadically throughout the movie. Turturro stars as Fioravante, a middle-aged New Yorkan who decides to be a pre-geriatric Don Juan; yes, a male prostitute. The problem is that Turturro prostituted his viewers with an enticing premise, but does not deliver the creative juice in this one with neither his direction, script, and performance in the movie. Woody Allen did pimp up the acting volume with his comical supporting performance as Murray, Fioravante's conniving pimp manager. "Fading Gigolo" is just a so-so gigolo movie, and believe the words I am saying... Sorry David Lee Roth! *** Average