‘American Gigolo’ evaluation: Jon Bernthal stars in a Showtime reboot, however this name is not value answering
Adapted into collection type by David Hollander, who subsequently left the challenge, the combo of flash and trash in and round sunny Southern California nearly makes the producer’s final cease for Showtime, “Ray Donovan,” appear cheery and upbeat by comparability. (Nikki Toscano, of Paramount’s “The Offer,” took over because the showrunner.)
Bernthal’s Julian is launched after 15 years in jail for a homicide he did not commit, and initially appears detached to the query of who might need framed him, regardless of the urgings of the detective (Rosie O’Donnell, solely one of many miscast co-stars) who helped put him away.
“Don’t you need to know what occurred?” she asks.
As for the then and now of it, “American Gigolo” employs the acquainted system of leaping forwards and backwards in time, together with Julian’s entry into the sex-for-money enterprise as a young person, below the stewardship of a madam (Sandrine Holt) who throws lavish pool events overlooking the ocean.
There’s a leering side to the sexuality within the collection that at occasions confuses “ick” with “edgy,” made worse by the truth that it includes minors. Nor is that helped by the strain of whether or not Julian will get again into the intercourse commerce, which, because the flashbacks clarify, is the one enterprise he actually is aware of.
Since “The Walking Dead,” Bernthal has appeared in varied tough-guy roles, together with Marvel’s plodding “The Punisher,” “The Many Saints of Newark” and most just lately the fact-based HBO crime drama “We Own This City.” Here, he will get to point out off a extra weak aspect, however Julian is such a tightly wound, impenetrable character that it is troublesome to grow to be notably involved about his destiny, regardless of makes an attempt by these like his former colleague Lorenzo (Wayne Brady, once more considerably incongruously, as an grownup) to drag him out of his shell.
“American Gigolo” does its greatest to maintain peeling again layers on the thriller just like the movie noir of the previous, with the detective at one level telling Julian that he is “just like the ‘Where’s Waldo?’ of f—ing crime scenes” as contemporary casualties happen.
The key to “Where’s Waldo?,” in fact, is wanting to place within the effort to search out him. “American Gigolo” tries to offer some incentive, however after the fast-paced montage as Debbie Harry belts out that title observe, the inclination is to say “Don’t name us, we’ll name you.”
“American Gigolo” premieres September 9 on Showtime’s streaming service and September 11 at 9 p.m. ET on Showtime.