American Gigolo

There was a time when I was a newspaper editor that I forgot I wasn’t part of the inner circle. I was a “hanger on,” as Richard Gere’s character is described in “American Gigolo” (1980). That’s probably a gentle way of describing Gere’s whore and a rough way of describing me, or maybe not. Fact is, we were highly skilled at what we did, but disposable. Thankfully, I was never framed for murder. (Unfortunately, I never scored with Lauren Hutton.) It’s not what you know. It’s not who you know. It’s what you know about who you know that matters.

The Photograph

Learning about a Bayou romance from a generation ago, a pair of thirtysomething New York professionals uncover something about themselves in “The Photograph” (2020). Stylishly filmed, scored and acted, it’s like an African-American version of a Richard Gere film – but better, because Richard Gere isn’t in it. Instead, Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield are the leads atop a strong cast that checks all the romance-flick boxes – sassy girlfriend, wacky married couple, eager co-worker, gracious boss, etc. Yet, thanks to the story within the story and its long, slow (but not too slow) unwinding, this formula seems more elegant than usual.

Intersection

If “Intersection” had been made in 2014 instead of 1994, it would have been called “White People Problems.” Handsome, successful architect (Richard Gere) struggles to reconcile empty marriage to beautiful, successful socialite (Sharon Stone) and complicated affair with beautiful, successful journalist (Lolita Davidovich). Don’t you just hate when that happens? Privilege plus angst equals meh. Anyway, the whole thing is gorgeous to look at (especially Ms. Davidovich) but totally devoid of depth. Which pretty much sums up Gere’s career in a nutshell. Which is why this movie holds some importance. This, not “Pretty Woman,” is the definitive Richard Gere film.