Young Richard Gere plays Julian; a man who knows how to please women and is paid handsomely for it. Things are going well for him and he can pick and choose who he works for and he has just started a relationship with a beautiful woman but his life is soon turned upside down. After taking a job in Palm Springs as a favour for his friend Leon the woman is murdered. When the police start asking questions he isn't concerned at first but soon it becomes apparent that somebody is trying to frame him. He was with another woman on the night of the murder but she is not going to ruin her reputation to give him an alibi. As the story approaches its end it looks as though Julian won't be able to clear his name; he may work among the upper echelons of society but he certainly isn't part of it and it isn't likely that anybody will risk ruin to help him.

Richard Gere goes a fine job in a role that could have been written for him; he is believable as the man older women pay for. Lauren Hutton is also good as love interest Michelle and Bill Duke is great as Leon; the friend who might not be as friendly as he claims to be. Writer/director gives us a stylish mystery with a twist; this isn't about finding who committed the murder, it is about whether or not an innocent man will be able to clear his name. Given the subject matter it isn't surprising that there is some nudity but it is shown in a fairly matter of fact way and is limited to a couple of scenes. Overall this is a slick film that fans of Richard Gere or '80s movies will want to check out.

Fresh off his eye-opening 1979 effort Hardcore, writer/director Paul Schrader struck again in 1980 with American Gigolo. This is the story of a high-end male prostitute (Gere) named Julian Kaye. Julian caters to the every need of several well-to-do older women whose husbands either are unable or reluctant to satisfy them. Julian is good at what he does, and he knows it. But that's his problem. His subtle arrogance is beginning to rub others in his line of work the wrong way. After he is framed for the murder of a kinky wife, Julian finds that none of his associates will help him clear his name. Adding to his misfortune is the fact that in order to clear his name, he will have to reveal much of what he does, as well as the identities of some of his powerful clients to the police. Either way he's screwed. He either goes to jail for the murder, or he never enjoys his profitable career again. The only person who seems interested in helping him is a state senator's wife (Hutton) who has fallen for him.

The film is really not bad. Maybe better than it deserves to be. Much of the credit goes to Richard Gere. Say what you want about the man's odd behavior off screen, but as an actor he is always top drawer. He plays Julian as a smug, intelligent, and sexually ambiguous young man. The performance keeps you guessing as much as the screenplay. Lauren Hutton is very beautiful and plays her part with classic sensuality. This woman never did that much after this, but she gives a fine performance here. Hector Elizondo is on hand as a sleazy detective, and look out for Bill Duke in an early role as a homosexual hustler at odds with Gere.

As for the direction, Schrader does what he can, but he is much better as a writer than a director. There is nothing overly creative about how much of this film is shot. George C. Scott tried to convince Schrader to stick to writing while on the set of Hardcore. American Gigolo is a much better film, so maybe Schrader took those comments to heart and made himself better. Still, the man is just not quite the director you'd hope. Some of the scenes are just a little too stale, with only the actors to breath life into them. One downfall might also be the conclusion. The film just kind of ends without a lot resolved, and a tough choice made by a major character just isn't given the proper motivation you'd think it would need. That said, American Gigolo is not a bad film at all. It was better than I expected, and it is a nice time capsule from 1980 Los Angeles. Give it a try. 7 of 10 stars.

The Hound.

Julian (Richard Gere) is a high price L.A. escort. Anne is his pimp and he meets Michelle Stratton (Lauren Hutton). Leon (Bill Duke) gives him a job from Mr. Rheiman who hires him for his wife Judy. Later, he finds out that Judy is dead. Detective Sunday (Hector Elizondo) investigates but his alibi won't co-operate. Michelle falls for him. Somebody is trying to frame him.

I think the movie was on its way to be a great paranoid psychological thriller. When he found the jewelry, there's a few different ways to go with the evidence. He chooses the stupidest road to travel on. It doesn't fulfill the promise of the movie and instead relies on a romantic melodrama. I never really feel invested in their relationship and it doesn't matter to me whether she supported him or not. I just don't care about the melodrama that Paul Schrader is so in love with.