American Gigolo

It's important that Paul Schrader put 'American' in his title. This isn't just something to make it a title that is easily recognizable or to know what country it's from. It's about an American state of being, what it is to be a gigolo who likes swanky suits and fast cars and, well, the women he gets what he has to work for. But what happens when this man's reputation is called into question, or what kind of reputation a gigolo has? Politics also comes into it, not too oddly enough, as Julian (Richard Gere) catches the eye of a woman who is married to a Senator. That the movie is technically a murder mystery, sort of, as Julian is accused of killing a woman who he had seen previously as a 'fetish' customer, is almost besides the point. It is good for the plot, but what Julian has to focus on, the big question for him, is what is he doing with himself? How do other people look at him?

He makes himself a sex symbol, of sorts, as he works out religiously and always gets the best clothes (like a peacock perhaps). Schrader puts a lot of focus on the relationship Julian has with Michelle, who genuinely cares about him and is probably the only person he knows who is straight with him (certainly not the pimp played by Bill Duke, or his mentor who has her own gaggle of men and women to 'send out'). Of course sexuality plays into it, but I liked the fact that Schrader didn't focus squarely on it. He's interested in some of the mechanics of it (there's a scene where Julian/Michele do it, but it's shot much in the way of Godard's A Married Woman, lots of single shots of body parts, some flesh, but selective eroticism), and then, mostly, the consequences.

But, again, the look of the film should be an indicator. This is Los Angeles of 1979/1980, but it portends the future decade not just in the city but in the kind of middle-upper (or just upper) class lifestyle of expensive restaurants, good drinks, good clothes, and sometimes good women (or just lonely older women). Schrader even has a way of looking ahead to the future with Giorgio Moroder's score, which takes Blondie's "Call Me" and turns it into a synth score full of dread and mystery and drama. On top of how the look, its stylish exteriors and careful lighting (the Bruckheimer look before Tony Scott took it over with smoke machines), and the depth of the script, Gere is also fantastic here. He was on a roll right after Days of Heaven, and here he lights up the screen with charisma, pathos, intensity, and a sense of where to take the scenes where they need to be.

He, much like the environment around him, makes up what is the backdrop for a tale of morality in high society, hypocrisy where it may lay in the highs and lows, and what it means to fall in love. The only part it doesn't fully work is as a full-fledged thriller (again, the murder-mystery element is the weakest link), but everything else sparks the screen with interest and excitement.

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-

I was under the impression that "American Gigolo" was one of those "cult" movies I never understood why so many people liked in the first place. But I was utterly surprised by the user rating of this movie and the fact that there are only a couple of comments. But the biggest surprise is I actually liked the movie, I found it extremely interesting and thought it had a great 80's feel to it. Richard Gere, who never really impressed me with anything, is in the role of his lifetime, playing his playboy role to perfection.

Director Paul Schrader made a smart movie that doesn't have to show everything in order for the viewer to know what happens and I liked it. The ending is very suitable and I especially love the last scene and Gere's last sentence which really touched me.

I didn't really understand the plot, but with Gere, a great score that manages to keep a single song interesting throughout the entire movie and great directing "American Gigolo" stands high above average and is one of the best movies of the eighties. 8/10

Okay-ish thriller-drama. Plot setup was good but it just seems to drift from a point. Ending is a bit trite and quite predictable. Surprising, as the movie is written-directed by Paul Schrader, who wrote Taxi Driver and Raging Bull for Martin Scorsese. Maybe he shouldn't direct... (though Affliction was great and Cat People was decent).

Performances are OK. This was Richard Gere's breakthrough role.

This is one of Richard Gere's first lead roles in Hollywood, and he doesn't disappoint. The film gives a little insight, a preview even, of the seamier side of the 1980's. Beginning with the shots of Julian Kaye's (Gere) Mercedes convertible, glimpses of Rodeo Drives and Malibu (all with Blondie screaming "Call Me"!), the film manages to be more than just a whodunit. Perhaps the charm of the film for me is that we're never quite sure what to think of Kaye and his married lover (Lauren Hutton), but their quest for happiness with each other is believable. And though the detective plot-line of the movie is a little contrived, Detective Sunday and Leon provide good opposite poles of this Sodom and Gommarah-like portrayal of life in L.A. In fact, Julian's verbal sparring with Detective Sunday provide a light contrast with the realistic portrayal of a gigolo on the run.