American Gigolo

REVIEW
Gere plays Julian Kaye, a shallow, narcissistic, high-priced prostitute who becomes involved with a senator's wife (Hutton). As their affair gets steamy and serious, Gere is framed for the murder of one of his clients. And the only person who could help him -- Hutton -- can't. Writer-director Schrader seems to enjoy wallowing in the sleaze of Los Angeles' underbelly of pimps, addicts and whores; though he unsuccessfully tries to masquerade his tale with a pretentious and artsy examination of one man's failure to find himself. Stylish and empty. Elizondo hits just the right note as a determined detective on Gere's case.