Fading Gigolo review

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John Turturro’s fifth film as director comes with a gilt-edged premise: Woody Allen as a would-be pimp, touting Turturro’s reluctant gigolo to horny Manhattan housewives (led by Sharon Stone).

It’s tailor-made for Allen; not only is he as funny as he’s been in years, he and Turturro make a wonderful double act, lacing a seedy-sounding script with warmth and humour.

Less successful is the muddled subplot involving Liev Schreiber as a Jewish cop and Vanessa Paradis as the girl that he/Turturro both have feelings for.

But for Allen fans, this is a flashback to past glories.

James Mottram
Freelance writer

James Mottram is a freelance film journalist, author of books that dive deep into films like Die Hard and Tenet, and a regular guest on the Total Film podcast. You'll find his writings on GamesRadar+ and Total Film, and in newspapers and magazines from across the world like The Times, The Independent, The i, Metro, The National, Marie Claire, and MindFood. 

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