Fading Gigolo

A movie about a failed book dealer in need of money who recruits a somewhat morose part-time florist friend to become a lover-for-hire might not sound all that promising. But actor-director John Turturro's film about an unlikely pimp and his even unlikelier stallion turns out to be a sensitive, often touching, yet also funny fable about people searching for connection in lives that have grown solitary and unsatisfying. In a rare acting turn outside his own films, Woody Allen plays bookseller Murray, while Turturro is Fioravante, a soft-spoken considerate guy who reluctantly agrees to participate in a threesome with a married dermatologist (Sharon Stone) and her girlfriend (Sofía Vergara). After that unusual arrangement becomes a surprise success, Fioravante accepts a second assignment—namely, to gently prod a beautiful young widow (Vanessa Paradis) of a Hasidic rabbi out of her self-imposed shell of loneliness. The two gradually develop deeper feelings, much to the consternation of a dour community-watch officer (Liev Schreiber) who is clearly enamored but unable to express his feelings (his investigation eventually results in a Hasidic court hearing that is by turns farcical and dramatic). Fading Gigolo is a cinematic high-wire act merging comic and heartfelt moments, one that constantly threatens to slip into tastelessness but always manages to keep its footing. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director John Turturro, deleted scenes (11 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an edgy dramedy.] (F. Swietek)