American Gigolo

Richard Gere is perfectly cast in the role of decadent but vulnerable male gigolo cum prostitute who is framed for a murder he didn't commit. His emotional entanglement with a married woman (Lauren Hutton) is believable, but the film is above all a dissection of the emptiness of the kind of stylish materialism which was to become such a hallmark of cosmopolitan lifestyle in the 80's. Like many such morality tales, though, the superficial attractiveness of the 'style' as a way of life is liable to lead some to embrace rather than reject it as a way of bringing excitement into their lives. In any event, a stylish piece of cinema.

As a gigolo Julian Kaye is the most stylish you can imagine. He lives in a tasteful apartment, minimalistic before minimalism became fashionable. His lady friends lavish him with expensive gifts. He wears only the best clothes, assembling outfits with good taste and knowledge of colours. He's also, smart, witty, charming and polyglot.

The perfect man? If you are rich, lonely and middle-aged. Julian prides himself of being able to pleasure women neglected by their men.

However, behind this glamorous facade, Julian is lonely and despised by his peers for his arrogance. When a rich, kinky wife gets killed in a kinky way, Julian becomes quickly suspect number 1.

In the meantime, he managed to start a "real" relationship with Michelle, the trophy wife of a politician. Will their love survive the storm?

Gere - allegedly chosen to replace John Travolta - plays the role of his life with deceptive nonchalance. He made it so simple, the public believed he was Julian and the critics always underestimated him as another pretty face.

It's a shame, because Gere is a talented actor who never received the praise he deserved. This movie is a modern, unmissable classic, ushering the materialistic Eighties with style, sophistication and an unforgettable soundtrack inclusive of Blondie and Moroder smash hit "Call me".

There are some actors who simply command the screen whenever they are seen. Richard Gere is one of those actors. No matter what the role, I can't help but be entranced. American Gigolo. From the beginnng where we see Julian during a typical day, to his exercising from the ceiling, to his inital meeting with Lauren Hutton's character, you know this is going to be fun---if you just relax and enjoy it. I saw this in a theatre a looooong time ago, and just watched it again. Giorgio Moroder's music and Blondie add special touches. This film has a permanent place is my guilty pleasure film library.

Fresh off his eye-opening 1979 effort Hardcore, writer/director Paul Schrader struck again in 1980 with American Gigolo. This is the story of a high-end male prostitute (Gere) named Julian Kaye. Julian caters to the every need of several well-to-do older women whose husbands either are unable or reluctant to satisfy them. Julian is good at what he does, and he knows it. But that's his problem. His subtle arrogance is beginning to rub others in his line of work the wrong way. After he is framed for the murder of a kinky wife, Julian finds that none of his associates will help him clear his name. Adding to his misfortune is the fact that in order to clear his name, he will have to reveal much of what he does, as well as the identities of some of his powerful clients to the police. Either way he's screwed. He either goes to jail for the murder, or he never enjoys his profitable career again. The only person who seems interested in helping him is a state senator's wife (Hutton) who has fallen for him.

The film is really not bad. Maybe better than it deserves to be. Much of the credit goes to Richard Gere. Say what you want about the man's odd behavior off screen, but as an actor he is always top drawer. He plays Julian as a smug, intelligent, and sexually ambiguous young man. The performance keeps you guessing as much as the screenplay. Lauren Hutton is very beautiful and plays her part with classic sensuality. This woman never did that much after this, but she gives a fine performance here. Hector Elizondo is on hand as a sleazy detective, and look out for Bill Duke in an early role as a homosexual hustler at odds with Gere.

As for the direction, Schrader does what he can, but he is much better as a writer than a director. There is nothing overly creative about how much of this film is shot. George C. Scott tried to convince Schrader to stick to writing while on the set of Hardcore. American Gigolo is a much better film, so maybe Schrader took those comments to heart and made himself better. Still, the man is just not quite the director you'd hope. Some of the scenes are just a little too stale, with only the actors to breath life into them. One downfall might also be the conclusion. The film just kind of ends without a lot resolved, and a tough choice made by a major character just isn't given the proper motivation you'd think it would need. That said, American Gigolo is not a bad film at all. It was better than I expected, and it is a nice time capsule from 1980 Los Angeles. Give it a try. 7 of 10 stars.

The Hound.

It's hard to precisely depict the impact of the smoky undertow of 1980s LA mores on the emotional and cultural landscape of the city, but Richard Gere's subversive topsy-turvy solo show comes close. Weird, well-shot and intriguing. The queasy feeling it leaves is hard to remove even days later. A/A-