American Gigolo (1980)

67% of critics liked it
(21 reviews)
48% of users liked it
(8,715 ratings)

A slick Los Angeles callboy finds love and redemption in Paul Schrader's ultra-stylish drama. High-living prostitute Julian Kay (Richard Gere, stepping in for John Travolta) has it all: the Mercedes, the clothes, access to Beverly Hills' swankiest establishments, and a stable of rich, older female… More A slick Los Angeles callboy finds love and redemption in Paul Schrader's ultra-stylish drama. High-living prostitute Julian Kay (Richard Gere, stepping in for John Travolta) has it all: the Mercedes, the clothes, access to Beverly Hills' swankiest establishments, and a stable of rich, older female clients. But it all falls apart after he does a favor for his former pimp (Bill Duke) and the trick turns up dead a short while later; Julian's actual client won't give him an alibi, and police detective Sunday (Hector Elizondo) doesn't believe the gigolo's denials. The one person who can help him is frustrated politician's wife (and sole non-paying bedmate) Michelle (Lauren Hutton), if only Julian could let down his defenses and accept her gesture of love. Mixing his admiration for European art cinema with a voyeuristic view of the seamier side of sex and affluence, Schrader renders Julian an inscrutable, emotionally disengaged purveyor of pleasure, decked out in Giorgio Armani clothes coordinated with Ferdinando Scarfiotti's meticulous production design. Amid critical doubts about its artiness and distanced eroticism, American Gigolo surprised everyone by not dying on the box office vine. With some audiences reportedly showing up for repeat viewings of Gere's seductive charms, it became a moderate hit, turning Gere into a star and Armani into the new fashion sensation. Whatever reservations one may have about the movie, it provided two indelible images of 1980s decadence to come: Gere's perusing his "artist's palette" of shirts, ties, and jackets, and Gere's cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway in his convertible to the New Wave strains of Blondie's "Call Me". ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 57 min.
Directed By: Paul Schrader
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Feb 1, 1980 Wide
On DVD: May 23, 2000
Studio: Paramount Home Video

Critic Reviews

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine
Schrader's development of the frame-up story is mechanically melodramatic, and Gere, essentially a boring actor, doesn't help much either. He just cannot carry a picture, even when his passivity and gentleness well serve some aspects of his character...
Variety Staff, Variety
Schrader's third outing as a director is betrayed by a curious, uncharacteristic evasiveness at its core.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The whole movie has a winning sadness about it; take away the story's sensational aspects and what you have is a study in loneliness.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Stylish but emotionally hollow, Paul Schrader's morality tale of a callboy (played by Richard Gere), offers some visual pleasures, including Armani's slick wardrobe.
, Film4
Schrader manages to underline the glamour of the protagonist's profession while at the same time illustrating its seedy underside.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The story becomes increasingly implausible as its thriller elements kick in, but the moving last shot achieves a sense of spiritual transcendence and grace rare in American movies.
, Sky Movies
Although the film rather loses its grip in the last two reels, this is, on the whole, an impressive piece of work.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Pure fantasy.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
It all becomes something of an academic, if entertaining, exercise that fails to stir the emotions.
Nell Minow, Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Turn off the sound and just enjoy the visuals.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
Slick, empty and far from sensual
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
American Gigolo explores the flashy career of a male hustler.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
A trama policial é fraquíssima, e nem Schrader (também roteirista) sabe como lidar com ela, já que o ato final da história abusa de cenas episódicas em fade, só para amarrar o desfecho.

Read all 13 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Jonathan H

Paul Schrader's homage to Bresson's Pickpocket proves three things: 1) Being a good screenwriter doesn't automatically make you a good director. 2) Hector Elizondo was bald even when he was young. 3) Richard Gere cannot carry a film to save his life.
Conner R

I think that American Gigalo is an underrated movie to say the least. Most people who do admit to being a fan of it say that it's just because they like Richard Gere in anything. Not only do I think this is a whole-heartedly good movie, it's way more conscious of its time… More
I think that American Gigalo is an underrated movie to say the least. Most people who do admit to being a fan of it say that it's just because they like Richard Gere in anything. Not only do I think this is a whole-heartedly good movie, it's way more conscious of its time period and atmosphere than pretty much everything else that it was released against. Sure we have some great criticisms of the 80s, made a full decade later. This judges contemporary lifestyles and even narrative expectations. It doesn't hurt that American Gigalo is a beautiful movie to look at; it makes all the content so much more digestible and even backs up the argument. This shows beautiful people doing bizarre things, having a shady moral code and getting away with murder (practically).
AJ V

First of all, excellent cinematography and cool music (it was all based on Blondie's song call me). What I didn't like was the cast, they weren't that great, especially Gere. The best part was the end. Overall, it's a pretty good drama, but it really could have… More
First of all, excellent cinematography and cool music (it was all based on Blondie's song call me). What I didn't like was the cast, they weren't that great, especially Gere. The best part was the end. Overall, it's a pretty good drama, but it really could have been better.
Dean M

Richard Gere is electrifying as the title role in this stylish, sexually charged drama film.
Sunil J

Dated, so some of the shock value has gone but it's still alright.
alan j

a hallmark film for its time..great start then sinks under its own weight..a bit pretntious and serious..could have been alot more fun if it was handled lighter....not gere's best role to be sure..but he does an adequate job. Great soundtrack though!
Christopher B

Another fantastic character study from the always interesting Schrader.

Read all 7 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Richard Gere as Julian Kaye

            Lauren Hutton as Michelle Stratton

            Hector Elizondo as Detective Sunday

            Nina Van Pallandt as Anne

            Bill Duke as Leon Jaimes

            Brian Davies as Charles Stratton

            K Callan as Lisa Williams

            Tom Stewart as Mr. Rheiman

            Patti Carr as Judy Rheiman

            David Cryer as Lt. Curtis

            Carole Cook as Mrs. Dobrun

            Carol Bruce as Mrs. Sloan

            Frances Bergen as Mrs. Laudner

            Macdonald Carey as Hollywood Actor

            William Dozier as Michelle's Lawyer

            Peter Turgeon as Julian's Lawyer

            Robert Wightman as Floyd Wicker

            Richard Derr as Mr. Williams

            Jessica Potter as Jill

            Ron Cummins as Reporter

            Frank Pesce as Suspect #4

            Paul Schrader
            
            Maggie Jean Smith as Girl at Daisy

            Gordon Haight as Blond Boy

            Kopi Sotiropulos as Reporter

            Vic Ramos
            
            James Currie as Bartender Cocktail Lounge

            Harry Davis as Park Bernet Representative
See full cast