A man for certain hours
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | A man for certain hours |
| Original title | American gigolo |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1980 |
| length | 112 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 (originally 18) |
| Rod | |
| Director | Paul Schrader |
| script | Paul Schrader |
| production |
Jerry Bruckheimer , Freddie Fields |
| music | Giorgio Moroder |
| camera | John Bailey |
| cut | Richard Halsey |
| occupation | |
| |
A man for certain hours ( American Gigolo ) is an American thriller directed by Paul Schrader from 1980 .
action
Julian Kaye is a classy call boy who lives in Los Angeles . He enjoys an upscale lifestyle, which manifests itself in the possession of a Mercedes convertible, expensive clothes and an apartment with a pool and hotel comfort. His two pimps Anne and Leon, however, get offended by his arrogant arrogance and his constant renegotiations and side business. Professionally, Leon sends "his" Julian to one of his regular customers in Palm Springs for an allegedly ordinary job. But it quickly becomes apparent to Julian that the job with the Raymond couple has a sexually violent nature about it that makes him feel sick. Julian is supposed to hit the woman while the husband watches. In his private life, he met the senator's wife Michelle Stratton on one of his forays through the upscale establishments of LA to find potential customers . She falls in love with him and finds out his home address, they sleep together, and a relationship gradually begins to develop. The next day, shortly before Michelle's visits, Julian reads in the newspaper that his Palm Springs customer Judy Raymond was found murdered and her jewelry was stolen. After the spouse, Mr. Raymond, gave the police a clue, the persistent LAPD Detective Sunday clinged to Julian's heels, who believed him to be the most likely culprit. The problem is that Michelle Stratton is unable to cover the alibi because the Senator's reputation and her own would suffer. As his relationship with Michelle Stratton deepens, suspicion of murder turns against him. In addition, Julian is now also targeted by Senator Stratton, Michelle's husband, who realizes that Julian has a liaison with his wife , but is above all concerned about his good reputation as a politician. He offers Julian a payment if he keeps his hands off his wife Michelle from now on. Julian declines the offer.
Julian's nocturnal hunt for an alibi begins. The gigolo, fixated on charisma, begins to deteriorate, he dresses negligently, no longer looks after himself like that, takes a shabby rental car, and apparently doesn't care about etiquette anymore . He realizes that he has been lured into a trap apparently hatched by Leon, his young blond callboy accomplice, and Mr. Raymond. This impression is confirmed when Julian discovers the stolen jewelry - hidden under the chassis of his Mercedes - before the police. Finally, Leon is confronted by Julian in his apartment with the suspected course of events and, when he still denies everything, also with the jewelry found. In this tricky situation, Julian begins to negotiate in vain for his life and his freedom. When Leon steps on the balcony of his apartment tower to wave to his young accomplice, Julian pushes him against the parapet, Leon loses his balance, Julian tries to hold on to his legs, but Leon falls to his death because he slips out of his ankle boots , which in the end are the only thing that Julian could hold on to. Julian ends up in prison for good for the police. Because of the detention before Leon fell, Julian is exonerated in relation to Leon's death. Instead, however, he is finally charged with the murder of Judy Raymond in Palm Springs, which was a trap. The film finally takes a turn for the better when the senator's wife Michelle gives Julian an alibi despite the damage to her reputation that this entails and confirms that she was with him at the time of the crime. With that she decides against her (marital) status and for her relationship with Julian.
Reviews
Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times that the film had a "winning sadness". Except for the elements of sensation, it is a study on loneliness. This is supported by the presentation by Richard Gere.
The lexicon of international films wrote that the film was "elegantly staged" but "superficial" and merely offered "more sophisticated entertainment".
Awards
Giorgio Moroder for the film music and the author couple Giorgio Moroder and Deborah Harry for the song Call Me were nominated for the Golden Globe Award in 1981.
background
The film was shot in and around Los Angeles, including Beverly Hills , Hollywood , Malibu and Palm Springs. Its production amounted to approximately 4.8 million US dollars . It grossed approximately $ 23 million in US cinemas.
Soundtrack
The piece "The Seduction (Love Theme)" by James Last was at number 28 and the song "Call Me" by Blondie was at number 1 in the US singles charts.
Web links
- American Gigolo in theInternet Movie Database(English)
- American Gigolo atRotten Tomatoes(English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Review by Roger Ebert
- ↑ A man for certain hours. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ Filming locations for American Gigolo
- ^ Business Data for American Gigolo