Fading Gigolo is the fifth film to be directed by John Turturro, who is probably best known by younger audiences for his role as Agent Simmons in the Transformer franchise, but who’s been acting since the early ‘80s and directing since the ‘90s. In his latest work, Turturro not only directs and acts but is also responsible for writing the script. He plays an ageing, and initially reluctant, gigolo, Fioravante (who takes the ‘trade’ name Virgil Howard), whose clients are found by his even older pimp, Murray (aka Dan Bongo), played by Turturro’s mate Woody Allen. They join up as a team when Murray’s rare bookstore is forced to close, causing them to find alternative means to solve their resulting financial issues. It may seem a ludicrous plan but it makes sense to them, for this is New York City, where rich, bored ‘cougars’ roam and there is money to burn. Murray convinces Fioravante, who believes he is not good looking, that in fact he has a certain charm and charisma that would appeal to women ‘of a certain age.’ He even suggests that his job as a part-time florist will add to Fioravante’s gentle appeal.

The film is quietly amusing for the most part and ‘Virgil’ has a fine old time satisfying his clients, who increase in number as his reputation spreads. The threesome with Dr. Parker (Sharon Stone – Lovelace) and her friend Selima (Sofia Vergara – Machete Kills) bears testimony to ‘Virgil’s’ sex appeal, as you can almost hear the two women purring as they prepare to devour their prey. It is a different state of affairs when Fioravante is set up with a Hasidic widow Avigal (Vanessa Paradis – Heartbreaker), and to whom he develops an attachment. Matters are further complicated by a jealous stalker Dovi (Liev Schreiber – The Reluctant Fundamentalist), who spends his days roaming the Jewish quarter like some sort of vigilante, wearing a uniform that designates his role as a member of the Hasidic community’s religious police. How weird is that, particularly when this conduct appears to be tolerated by Americans, in comparison to the negative attitudes of many of them to other similarly fundamentalist religious practices? This strange behaviour is exemplified by Murray’s ‘arrest’ (some would say kidnapping) by these religious police and he is forced to appear before a council of rabbis.

But let’s not get too serious. This is a fun film and it’s great to see such fine performances by all the actors. Allen delivers his usual shtick and it works well. Turturro’s hangdog expression and fading Latin looks make him a believable contender for his role as the ageing Lothario. And the women are all terrific, proving that age is no barrier to sexual desire and attraction in this racy, but not at all explicit, comedy. In some way these mature actors are like the rare books in Murray’s store - much sought after and seldom disappointing. New York looks fabulous as usual and is beautifully captured in warm sepia tones by Marco Pontecorvo’s (TV’s Rome and Game of Thrones) cinematography. This is a film that will be enjoyed by adult audiences who appreciate the finer things in life.

// SALT

Previewed at Paramount Pictures, Sydney, on 16 April 2014