Cheap American Gigolo (DVD) (Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton) (Paul Schrader) Price

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Customer Reviews of American Gigolo

Darkly comic thriller from Paul Schrader
"American Gigolo" is high on my list of Guilty Pleasures. This 1980 thriller wallows in the troubles of the rich, the infamous and the decadent. Its main characters have too much money, which can be a good thing, and too much time on their hands, which can be a very bad thing. There is a sort of perverse pleasure in watching them sort through their various problems, most of which are indirectly of their own making. Writer-director Paul Schrader has always cast a cynical eye on human endeavors. Sometimes, his insights have been absolutely brilliant. [He wrote both " Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull".] But even when he is playing around, as in "American Gigolo", he creates for us an interesting world, which can also be repellant because we see a certain amount of truth in his characterizations.

Richard Gere is Julian Kaye, a very well paid [and apparently well educated] LA hustler. His specialty is wealthy, older women. Arrogant and self-assured, he has made his share of enemies in his shadowy world, especially among his pimps. Things get complicated for him when he falls for Michelle Stratton [Lauren Hutton], wife of a prominent political figure. But far worse is in store for him after a client is murdered and Julian becomes the number one suspect.

Giorgio Moroder contributes a lively musical score - very 80s. John Bailey's cinematography is first-rate. He captures the vanity and vulnerability of Julian right from the opening shots, for example.

This is one of those movies that has more detractors than admirers. To me, it is wildly entertaining in a dark comedy way. Its one big fault is a contrived happy ending, which is diametrically opposed to the tone of the rest of the movie.

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Bad To The Bone
This movie is so incredible, Richard Gere was born to play this part! He is so irresistable here, plus throw in a murder mystery and you've got a really interesting film. It's a very "80s" film too, that's one of the coolest things about it.

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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. I expected more from a Richard Gere movie. Not as good as An Officer And A Gentleman. Richard Gere's charactar Julian is very shallow and materialistic. Lauren Hutton gives a dry performance. She really isnt an actress. The film started off well but like I said earlier, the ending left something to be desired.