Woody Allen plays Murray, who after closing his rare bookstore turns pimp (or “manager,” as he calls it) for financially strapped part-time florist Fioravante (John Turturro).
Allen plays Murray, who, after closing his rare bookstore, turns pimp (or “manager,” as he calls it) for financially strapped part-time florist Fioravante (Turturro, who also wrote the screenplay), arranging rendezvous with women around New York.
Throughout their adventures, Allen speaks in his usual comedic banter, accompanied by his patented facial reactions and body language, yet the content is rarely comprised of jokes. As such, the desire to laugh out of familiarity with his delivery is there. The humor? Not so much.
Instead, “Fading Gigolo” focuses on Fioravante’s newfound occupation, at which he proves a natural with clients like Dr. Parker (Sharon Stone) and her wealthy friend Selima (Sofía Vergara, from TV’s “Modern Family”).
The posh lofts he frequents and the positive effects of business on his and Murray’s lives elicit steady subtle pleasures, but as with Allen’s punchlines absent, Turturro treats this subject in an overly polite manner that keep its payoffs muted.
Despite this subdued tone, “Fading Gigolo” rolls along and gradually achieves commendable depth when exploring the complex relationship between Fioravante and Hassidic widow Avigal (French actress Vanessa Paradis).
Still in mourning for her husband three years after his death, Avigal’s slow, realistic emergence from her cocoon of grief is a joy to behold and her impact on quiet bachelor Fioravante packs a similar punch.
Augmented by cinematographer Marco Pontecorvo’s gorgeous shots of autumn in New York, their interactions resonate on visual and emotional levels and at last provide the film’s casual nature a suitable match.
Standing in their way and generally impeding the film’s flow, however, is Dovi (Liev Schreiber), a volunteer officer in Brooklyn’s Hassidic neighborhood patrol that’s known as the Shomrim.
A childhood friend of Avigal with ambitions of being her new partner, this one-dimensional character is a consistent drag in need of more layers to warrant inclusion.
As with a criminally short Bob Balaban appearance and a conclusion that doesn’t line up with the preceding events, a lack of development prevents “Fading Gigolo” from greatness. The film is still worth a look, but the shortcomings and general lack of a pulse are sure to limit its appeal.
Grade: B. Rated R. Playing at the Carolina Asheville and the Fine Arts Theatre.
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