The new series, based off the 1980 movie, American Gigolo, premiered last night on Showtime.
It is off to a good start. It begins with Julian Kaye being released from prison for a murder he did not commit.
The intriguing aspect of this re-imagined telling is that we get Julian's back story, what led to his becoming a high-priced gigolo.
It is plausibly laid out, and the proceedings have a good deal of psychological underpinnings that hooks the viewer.
Jon Bernthal as the new Julian is outstanding, and he gives the character far more depth than Richard Gere was allowed to be in the iconic movie. Schrader's movie suffers from lack of character development, and it has a rather wan tone, lacking edge and tawdry excesses - which it needed.
Bernthal has the same dark profile as Gere did, but the former, craggier of face, is not as smoothly handsome as his predecessor. But Bernthal engages us in a way Gere somehow wasn't able to achieve.
Rosie O'Donnell has a memorable role as a foul-mouthed, butch prosecutor.
The one brilliant move the series makes was in duplicating the movie's opening graphics, with the slick road shots and rapid editing. Best of all: Blondie's mega-hit "Call Me," utilized for the movie, is again employed here. Produced by Giorgio Moroder, it was one of the most fitting ever as a movie's theme.
It is off to a good start. It begins with Julian Kaye being released from prison for a murder he did not commit.
The intriguing aspect of this re-imagined telling is that we get Julian's back story, what led to his becoming a high-priced gigolo.
It is plausibly laid out, and the proceedings have a good deal of psychological underpinnings that hooks the viewer.
Jon Bernthal as the new Julian is outstanding, and he gives the character far more depth than Richard Gere was allowed to be in the iconic movie. Schrader's movie suffers from lack of character development, and it has a rather wan tone, lacking edge and tawdry excesses - which it needed.
Bernthal has the same dark profile as Gere did, but the former, craggier of face, is not as smoothly handsome as his predecessor. But Bernthal engages us in a way Gere somehow wasn't able to achieve.
Rosie O'Donnell has a memorable role as a foul-mouthed, butch prosecutor.
The one brilliant move the series makes was in duplicating the movie's opening graphics, with the slick road shots and rapid editing. Best of all: Blondie's mega-hit "Call Me," utilized for the movie, is again employed here. Produced by Giorgio Moroder, it was one of the most fitting ever as a movie's theme.