The combination of an improbable premise and an uncertainty of tone makes for a film that bursts only fitfully into life, despite the presence of some top acting talent.
In the first of his five outings as director to get theatrical release here, Turturro casts himself in the title role, as Fioravante, a shy florist who works part-time in the moribund bookshop of his longtime pal Murray (Allen).
When the latter is told by his dermatologist (Stone) that she would love to find a man for a no-strings-attached threesome with her friend Selima (Vergara), Murray sees a business opportunity: Fioravante as stud, with a cut for the pimp.
The film, which Turturro wrote, doesn't trouble itself with such considerations as why this retiring, stay-at-home would suddenly morph into a lady-killer, who oozes empathy and is a whizz at cha cha.
No prizes for guessing the complication that ensues in the form of the young widow of an ultra-orthodox rabbi. It leads to some audaciously irreverent, even transgressive Jewish comedy, though no romantic chemistry at all.
The problem is that no one, least of all the viewer, has any idea what kind of movie this is. The heartfelt moments (sort of) work and some of the comic ones are great (Schreiber as a dumb and musclebound Hasidic neighbourhood cop is terrific) but each aspect seems to starve the other. Meanwhile, Allen, working lines like "Mortality is a very iffy thing" as if he were auditioning for a standup spot, takes all the oxygen from every scene he is in.
Another pair in the lead roles might have helped, but there's just not enough meat here. Turturro's versatile screen presence is undimmed, but his film feels like the second draft of a promising idea.
Cast:
John Turturro, Woody Allen, Vanessa Paradis, Liev Schreiber, Sharon Stone, Sofia Vergara
Director:
John Turturro
Running time:
90 mins
Rating:
M (sex scenes, offensive language)
Verdict:
A mishmash of heartfelt and funny, grievously underworked
- TimeOut