This Italian film might be considered shallow, but "Scusi, facciamo l'amore?" is a stunningly gorgeous film, from it's posh interiors of the Euro "jet-set," and the endless parade of late 60's haute couture fashions, and of course, the main character, young Pierre Clementi, who must be one of the most ridiculously beautiful men to have ever lived. Clementi is cast as Lallo, the arrogant son of one of the most notorious gigolos among Viennese society. Upon arrival to the lush city, for his dad's funeral, which he actually doesn't even show up for, but manages to make it to the "after-party,' he quickly meets the female members of the Euro jet set crowd, impossibly wealthy and mostly beautiful women, who immediately notice that Lallo possesses the same physical attributes as his father. And the young rogue wastes no time taking advantage of the situation.
Criticized for being a "cold and empty' film, those critics failed to realize that it was intentional, and a way to reflect the life of a gigolo/male prostitute, who on the surface, appears to be having a wonderful time, but who eventually realizes that a career that consists of selling your body, can lead to devastatingly sad consequences. Of course this happens when Lallo realizes that the women he thought he was using, were actually using him, as one by one, they make their exits after they are done having their fun with the stud, who turns out to be more naive and innocent than one might think. It's not very original, but the whole production is just so damn beautiful that it serves well as an impressive piece of escapist fantasy, resembling something that Luchino Visconti would have made, if he wasn't so "proper." And for fans of Pierre Clementi, this is not to be missed. I have been a Clementi fan since I saw him as the dangerous gangster with the gold teeth in "Belle De Jour," so I might be biased. But this movie is a prime example of late 60's Euro cinema, as well as a documentation of a time and a lifestyle that no longer exists.
