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American Gigolo

Play trailer Poster for American Gigolo R Released Feb 8, 1980 1h 57m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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73% Tomatometer 33 Reviews 50% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Julian (Richard Gere), a gigolo, commands high prices for his services, living a lavish and emotionally unattached lifestyle under the management of Anne (Nina van Pallandt). While secretly working for pimp Leon (Bill Duke), Julian is assigned to service Mr. Rheiman (Tom Stewart) and his wife, Judy (Patti Carr), but leaves when their violent requests make him nervous. When Mrs. Rheiman is found dead and no one is willing to testify on his behalf, Julian finds himself the primary suspect.
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American Gigolo

American Gigolo

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Critics Consensus

While Paul Schrader's clinical direction and Richard Gere's muted performance don't stir much passion, American Gigolo succeeds as a stylish character study.

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Critics Reviews

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Jake Cole Slant Magazine Even as Paul Schrader revels in opulence, he stresses the moral turpitude beneath its surface. Jun 18, 2024 Full Review Wendy Ide Times (UK) Stylish and deliberately alienating, the film took its lead from European arthouse rather than Hollywood. May 24, 2023 Full Review Richard Brody New Yorker Schrader films the action with a glossy, gliding precision, orchestrating the complications and controlling the tempo while sustaining the lurid mood with the glow of neon color and with high design—of architecture, furnishings, and clothing. May 15, 2023 Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia It's a Schrader thriller that gets off to an interesting start, often elevated by a certain air of sophistication injected by Gere's presence as the gigolo in trouble, but its approach lacks pulse. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 5/10 Sep 7, 2024 Full Review Mitchell Beaupre Paste Magazine A story removed from eroticism—a delightful irony for something about a gorgeous gigolo. Rated: 9.5/10 Jun 24, 2024 Full Review Emilie Black Cinema Crazed .... American Gigolo a film that was ahead of its time, still working quite well these days, a testament to good writing and direction. Rated: 4/5 Jun 19, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Zackary T Richard Gere is great in this. He manages to be completely unlikeable and insanely charismatic at the same time which is no small feat. It's very apparent that we were dealing with and watching a bona fide movie star. A movie star that can also happen to act his ass off. The rest of the film not so amazing. Not anywhere near Paul Schrader's best work. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/29/24 Full Review W. W. W the story itself is uninteresting except its title. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/27/23 Full Review pierce k This movie was awesome i loved it i'll give it 5 stars. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/23/23 Full Review Taylor L There are four or five different versions of Blondie's 'Call Me' in this film, I'm pretty sure one was played on a pipe organ in a Gothic cathedral for some reason. For a movie that established Richard Gere as a leading man and a sex symbol of the '80s, American Gigolo feels strangely detached. It's a bit more of a daring design than erotic thrillers had been willing to entertain before, with Gere (unsurprisingly) playing a gigolo to a group of scandalous older women, and even male nudity from its protagonist. But it just doesn't convey that shocking edge of the erotic angle, though it does deliver a bit of the paranoia that defined the decade prior with the films of Alan J. Pakula, albeit stretched thin across a noir framework. It's got style but doesn't make your pulse pick up either with the sex or with the murder. Gere always portrays relatively muted characters and this is no different; a bit of animation in the small moments, instead of the emotional outbursts on paper, would have picked the film up quite a bit as he frantically runs around trying to piece together a frame-up job in the seedy underbelly of sex work. Instead, if there's a standout performance it's Bill Duke as a calm pimp, someone who knows more than he lets on. Slow-burn thrillers can work, but American Gigolo doesn't have enough suspense to keep the atmosphere thick and heavy. (3/5) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review steve d I like Richard Gere a lot but there isn't a lot here. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Rosana B Surpreende positivamente, com essa tradução pensei se tratar de uma comédia – pastelão, ledo engano, um suspense dramático, que debatem inclusive o prazer feminino na terceira idade, Richard Gere lindo, perfeito, no auge da sua forma física, interessante como desde novinho e apesar de gostoso, eu já o via como um senhor de meia-idade... Uma boa trama, simples, conveniente e envolvente... Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/25/22 Full Review Read all reviews
American Gigolo

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American Gigolo

American Gigolo: Official Clip - Searching the Apartment American Gigolo: Official Clip - Searching the Apartment 2:10 American Gigolo: Official Clip - You Walk an Awful Thin Line American Gigolo: Official Clip - You Walk an Awful Thin Line 2:13 American Gigolo: Official Clip - Why Did You Pick Me? American Gigolo: Official Clip - Why Did You Pick Me? 2:11 American Gigolo: Official Clip - Maybe You're What I'm Looking For American Gigolo: Official Clip - Maybe You're What I'm Looking For 2:09 American Gigolo: Official Clip - Was It What You Expected? American Gigolo: Official Clip - Was It What You Expected? 2:12 American Gigolo: Official Clip - I Know What I See American Gigolo: Official Clip - I Know What I See 1:54 American Gigolo: Official Clip - I Made You American Gigolo: Official Clip - I Made You 2:02 American Gigolo: Official Clip - I Had No Choice, I Love You American Gigolo: Official Clip - I Had No Choice, I Love You 2:11 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Julian (Richard Gere), a gigolo, commands high prices for his services, living a lavish and emotionally unattached lifestyle under the management of Anne (Nina van Pallandt). While secretly working for pimp Leon (Bill Duke), Julian is assigned to service Mr. Rheiman (Tom Stewart) and his wife, Judy (Patti Carr), but leaves when their violent requests make him nervous. When Mrs. Rheiman is found dead and no one is willing to testify on his behalf, Julian finds himself the primary suspect.
Director
Paul Schrader
Producer
Jerry Bruckheimer
Screenwriter
Paul Schrader
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 8, 1980, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 1, 2013
Runtime
1h 57m
Sound Mix
Dolby
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