Directed by Pablo Larraín | Starring: Oscar Isaac, Ana de Armas, Willem Dafoe, and Zoë Kravitz
Genre: Neo-Noir/Romantic Drama
Tagline: “Desire has its price, and love has its limits.”
Overview:
The Gigolo is a riveting examination of love, power, and relationships with the backdrop of the excesses of high society. This film stylised as neo-noir drama centers the character, Julian Varga (Oscar Isaac), an attractive and mysterious male escort where everything he worked so hard to build begins to collapse the moment he falls for one of his clients– a recluse but strong lady (Ana de Armas). Produced by Pablo Larrain of Spencer acclaimed fame, this film is fundamentally a character-driven one that has an extremely suspenseful atmosphere and delves into intimacy involving transaction and facades.
Plot Synopsis:
Julian Varga moves from one luxurious attraction to another, fulfilling the desires of the rich and famous of New York. This sort of business involves not just charm and beauty, which are for the superficial, but stealth and coldness which he possesses in great measure. He is known as somebody who brings other people’s dreams to life while himself remaining emotionally uninvolved, an honour he has owned his entire life, that is until he meets Celeste Sinclair (Ana de Armas).
Celeste, who was once married to a media tycoon, decide to hire Julian for what looks like her company but needs someone to talk to as well as someone to understand her unexplainable emptiness. As Julian’s Romantic relationships rather grow, he starts feeling something which he said he would never do; Let any woman get under his skin. But with love emerging in one aspect of his life, displeasure emerges in others, such as his professional life with his manager, the controlling and threatening Elias (Willem Dafoe), and an inexplicable bond with fellow escort Delilah (Zoë Kravitz) with a dark past.
That’s when the plot starts to thicken, Julian finds himself in the middle of a family quarrel regarding unfinished business of celeste which has already gone dirty considering the powerful people in such issues. Julian now has to decide, is he a human capable of love or a figurehead made to reflect the imaginary ideal that people build.
Performance Highlights:
- Oscar Isaac as Julian Varga:
Isaac is magnetic, delivering a performance that oscillates between seductive confidence and raw vulnerability. His portrayal of Julian captures the character’s duality—a man both in control and utterly lost. - Ana de Armas as Celeste Sinclair:
De Armas brings an ethereal yet haunting quality to Celeste, making her both a femme fatale and a deeply wounded woman. Her chemistry with Isaac is electric, lending authenticity to their fraught relationship. - Willem Dafoe as Elias:
Dafoe is chilling as Julian’s manager and occasional tormentor. His performance oozes menace, embodying the dark side of the industry that Julian inhabits. - Zoë Kravitz as Delilah:
Kravitz shines as a fellow escort whose sharp wit masks a deep well of pain. Her scenes with Isaac crackle with tension, offering a counterpoint to Julian’s relationship with Celeste.
Direction and Cinematic Style:
The pacing of the film feels slow and heavy as viewers sense the tension thus being created by Pablo Larraín’s direction. The visuals are purely neo-noir with lots of harsh shadows, high contrast lighting and rich color schemes that enhance the moods of the characters. Focused shots by Rodrigo Prieto (The Irishman) highlight the differences between Julian’s rich outside world and his disturbed inside world.
Sound designer Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker) has created an exceptional score that consists of mournful strings and rhythmic electronic sounds which are thematic in nature and portrays desires and predicaments present in the film.
Comparative Analysis:
It seems The Gigolo is a remodernization of Paul Schrader´s American Gigolo, but it does change the original narrative in that it pushes, deeper and broader, into the dynamic facets of the characters’ psychology and the ethics involved. Perhaps, its sentiments can also be drawn from Eyes Wide Shut where seduction and melancholy are distinct possibilities and Shame where dismal self-examination is present.
Conclusion:
The Gigolo is a hypnotic, visually stunning drama that delves deep into the complexities of human connection. With powerhouse performances and a narrative that keeps you guessing, it’s a film that lingers in the mind long after the credits roll. A modern noir for the emotionally fraught 21st century.
Rating: ★★★★☆
