American Gigolo: Amazon.ca: Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton, Hector Elizondo, Nina Van Pallandt, Bill Duke, Brian Davies, K Callan, Tom Stewart, Patricia Carr, David Cryer, Carole Cook, Carol Bruce, John Bailey, Paul Schrader, Richard Halsey, Freddie Fields, Jerry Bruckheimer: DVD

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Writer-director Paul Schrader viewed this as the second part of a trilogy that began with Taxi Driver and concluded with Light Sleeper--each dealing with a lonely man trying to deal with both his own dizzily spinning moral compass and the hypocrisy of the society that's trying to tell him what to do. Richard Gere plays a high-priced prostitute, an immaculately dressed stud for hire who services the bored women of Beverly Hills without ever allowing himself to be touched emotionally. His affair with a politician's wife (Lauren Hutton) changes that, at a point when he is being framed for a murder he didn't commit. Even as he tries to elude the law, he allows himself to become enmeshed with her in unexpected ways. Too cool and distant for some viewers, the film has a distinctive look and deliberate pacing--and about two endings too many. But it will keep you watching in spite of yourself. --Marshall Fine

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Customer Reviews

20 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.0 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars Stylish, sexy, and vulnerable, Nov 22 2003

By

Alicia Walker "Book/movie snob" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: American Gigolo (Widescreen) (DVD)

Gere is terrific in this somewhat unusual film. We love him as the ladies companion and as he pretends to be a flamboyantly gay decorator so as not to "out" his client AND as he works the room in search of new prey. His vulnerability to Lauren Hutton is obvious from their first meeting. Gere's character is interesting, intelligent, serious, and good at his job. He is also compassionate and polite. We leave the movie wanting to take him too! Great film!

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3.0 out of 5 stars Here comes the 80's, Oct 22 2003

By

Afrin Argon (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Gigolo (Widescreen) (DVD)

This film is stylishly shot and poorly acted, and paced at about the speed a rich old woman might utilize to putter about the perfume section of Neiman Marcus.

I think it would have been more interesting if Julian had been an amnesia-suffering killer who, after his rich senator's wife angel rescues him from prison, murders her, too, and then goes back to turning gay tricks on the "bad side of town." But that didn't happen.

A lot of male/female dialogue in this movie is truly cringeworthy, and the funniest line to me is when Julian's lawyer tells him "The maid saw you try and rescue Leon, so they're not going to prosecute on that" after Julian pushes the guy off a twelfth floor balcony. That's like shooting someone and then being let off because you put a pillow under their head while they died. I also found it peculier that in a sprawling city of ten million or so people where supposedly no one ever leaves their car, characters keep running into one another on city streets and shops.

All in all, a good snapshot of wealthy LA on the cusp of the eighties, but there really isn't much more to be gleaned from this movie than that.

One note on the sound quality of the DVD. The dialogue is very hard to pick up at times, which forces one to turn up the volume quite high. This gives the viewer an unpleasant jolt whenever the pounding Moroder tunes come in, because they are recorded very loud. Be warned.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Last gasp of Disco, Aug 25 2003

By

T. Schmitt (Issaquah, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: American Gigolo (Widescreen) (DVD)

The significance of American Gigalo is capturing the mood of the disco movement in its waning days, and not of a compelling story line that draws you in.

The story line itself is weak, as other reviewers have already panned it. A gigolo is framed for murder, set up by him pimp. Living the cream of life in its riches on his good looks, a murder accusation send his good life down a spiral. Along the decent, he picks up the love of a prominent politician's wife, who becomes his savior and true love, perhaps for the first time in his life.

What makes American Gigalo fun is capturing the last breadth of the disco movement, of the lifestyle of when casual sex was safe, drugs were no big deal, and the music was still dance-able. This was the film that made Richard Gere the movie icon that he is today.

Watch this movie for a trip down memory lane, but don't expect a great story out of it.

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Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Not the best Richard Gere movie to watch
I watched this film with much anticipation but was left dissapointed at the end. The ending was predictable and the acting was subpar. Read more

Published on April 17 2004 by Tuvan Uner

5.0 out of 5 stars American Nightmare
"American Gigolo" stars Richard Gere of a high priced male prostitute. He is coasting along with his rich southern Cailifonia clients until one of them is murdered. Read more