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Poster for American Gigolo

American Gigolo

He's the highest paid lover in Beverly Hills. He leaves women feeling more alive than they've ever felt before. Except one.

1980 · 1h 57m · R Crime, Drama, Mystery
Directed by Paul Schrader

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Overview

Julian makes a lucrative living as an escort to older women in the Los Angeles area. He begins a relationship with Michelle, a local politician's wife, without expecting any pay. One of his clients is murdered and Detective Sunday begins pumping him for details on his different clients, something he is reluctant to do considering the nature of his work. Julian begins to suspect he's being framed. Meanwhile Michelle begins to fall in love with him.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
68%
Tomatometer
Rotten

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...

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine
Rotten

Schrader's third outing as a director is betrayed by a curious, uncharacteristic evasiveness at its core.

Variety Staff, Variety
Rotten

It all becomes something of an academic, if entertaining, exercise that fails to stir the emotions.

Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Fresh

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.

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

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