Craig Priddle
John Turturro writes and stars in this his fifth film as director. Turturro was born in Brooklyn in 1957, and a good part of this beautiful, whimsical story takes part around what must have been very familiar streets and neighbourhoods. It’s set in a very distinct, very small part of the world but its appeal is very broad.
Fioravante (Turturro), an aging florist is drawn into prostitution by his best friend Murray (Woody Allen). They are both a little down on their luck, and through a preposterous setup soon find themselves as Virgil the gigolo, and Dan Bongo his most unlikely pimp. That the main customers we follow are Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara is some indication of how lightly the film takes itself. They need Woody Allen to organise a threesome?!?!?
The tone changes, but is never dark, when for a slightly unclear reason Murray brings Avigal (Vanessa Paradis), widow of a rabbi, into contact with Fioravante. Their relationship is not without its issues. The watchful eyes of Dovi (Liev Schreiber), a Shomrim volunteer neighbourhood police man are an external complication for Avigal, and the relationship of Avigal and Fioravante is quickly established as one that is not just physical. There is something more there and it provides the more realistic core to the movie.
This is not an over the top bedroom romp and it isn’t a debauched soft porn fest, and while the story may be towards the ridiculous end of the sliding scale, it always feels like it just might be possible. Just. The cast are all in great form, and that includes New York, which is seen at a close up and personal level by these most likeable if slightly unlikely characters.
It’s a well paced hour and a half, and the soundtrack is full of great music, including some live jazz which, I think, is in Hebrew. The characters aren’t on collision paths in this film, they are dancing around each other as the plot swings and leads us here and there. They may have sprung from stereotypes at one point, but there is enough differentiation from the actors to keep them fresh and real. The characters are all good company, and the story makes you smile with all kinds of pleasure, from the purely physical through to the most illogical thoughts love presents us all. You leave the cinema feeling happy, and wondering what might happen next in the lives of all the characters. The story is resolved but the world they have created, continues around them.
You’ll take the world of the film with you when you leave and it’s a nice place to be.
8/10
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