Murray's dermatologist tells him she wants a threesome with her girlfriend, and Murray provides the services of his friend, middle aged Fiorovante. The cottage industry of "making lonely women happy" expands to include orthodox Jewish widow Avigal, but she is the object of desire of Neighbourhood Watch operative Dovi. Also, the way people feel towards each other can change.

Written by, directed by, and starring John Turturro as the unlikely gigolo Fiorovante, an ungenerous soul might suggest that this improbable sex-based comedy drama was just an excuse for him to film a nude scene with Sharon Stone. But I quite liked it. It is rather inconsequential, and the character Fiorovante is fairly inexpressive and therefore difficult to identify with. Also, Liev Schreiber's Dovi is quite unlikeable, and the developments involving his character aren't that convincing. But, as Murray, Woody Allen - not one of my favourite actors - delivers what is probably the best performance I have ever seen from him: gentle, wryly humorous, and spilling over with humanity. The trademark Allen tics are all there, but I liked Murray a lot. And Vanessa Paradis as Avigal was luminous.

Despite its improbability, this rather odd little drama with comedy engaged and entertained me.

John Turturro did a good job both as a director and as an actor: I appreciated both his touching and amusing attitude towards the subject and his heartfelt interpretation as Fioravante. When the umpteenth love story seems to arise in a New York apartment, the delicacy of sentiments wraps every situation, with a touching and somehow magic vision of loneliness which releases a very heartwarming sensation. His character is magnetic to women, and indeed he can appeal the female public, he has that courtesy, that delicacy, that simplicity which attracts women, he looks like a man of ancient times, he is capable of looking into a woman's eye, to listen to them, to understand and appraise them without too many words, but simply standing by them. And in the end, nothing really happens, simply because nothing is needed to happen, according to a delicate and almost prudish attitude towards love which never abandons the picture till the end. Allen as a women-recruiter is funny and obsessive as only Allen can be, and the comedy on the whole owns much to him when some comic and ironic style makes us smile, and when the charm of walking along New York streets makes one look forward to being there.

Fading Gigolo looks like a Woody Allen film, he does appear in this.

However it is directed, written and stars John Turturro who plays Fioravante who works part time in a rare bookshop owned by Murray Schwartz (Woody Allen.) The bookstore is in financial trouble and will soon close down.

Murray tells Fioravante that his dermatologist Dr Parker (Sharon Stone) wants a threesome with her girlfriend Selima (Sofía Vergara) and she is wiling to pay good money.

Fioravante who is short of money agrees and Murray becomes his pimp. Later Murray coaxes a widow of a rabbi to see Fioravante. Avigal (Vanessa Paradis) does have a tender friendship with him but a local security watch guard Dovi (Liev Schreiber) becomes jealous has he is infatuated by Avigal.

Turturro is not someone who you would describe as being conventionally handsome. As an actor he tends to be intense but here he is rather low key. It also smacks of a vanity project with him being a romantic gigolo. I did not buy it and this is someone who has watched decades of Woody Allen films romancing beautiful women.

The main problem is that the script is flimsy and incoherent. It is unsure whether it wants to be a crude sex comedy or a charming comedy drama but it comes across as a little dull.

Wisely he leaves the comedy to Allen who is the best thing in this.