When you think about American Gigolo, you can’t help but think about sex. It’s suggested right there in the name, first of all. It’s also because Richard Gere as the lead in Paul Schrader’s 1980 neo-noir classic was the epitome of sex appeal, befitting the label as not just any escort, but the American gigolo. The film also tackles themes of crime, greed, narcissism, and betrayal, in addition to sexual politics. How very American.
More than two decades later, American Gigolo is getting the TV treatment with a new Showtime series. In this version, actor Jon Bernthal is Julian Kaye, now navigating the modern-day sex industry in Los Angeles after spending 15 years in prison for a wrongful conviction.
In this exclusive clip, Julian is entertaining a client when, across the lobby, he spots Michelle Stratton (Gretchen Mol), a woman from his past life. They lock eyes and follow each other into another room. “What are you doing with that woman?” she asks. “I guess whatever she wants,” he responds.
Their small talk is so erotically tinged it might as well be pillow talk, as their faces get closer and closer together. Years have passed, but sparks seem to be flying again.
Reviving and, in this case, continuing an iconic story like American Gigolo can often be a risky prospect. It can also be thrilling.
“So many things intrigued me about this material,” Mol tells The Daily Beast’s Obsessed. “Take the objectification that is usually reserved for women and put it on a man. How does he do his job perfectly and brilliantly? I’m interested in that. Paul Schrader made a film that was deemed iconic in its time….what is it to break it open and go deeper on those themes? To make it contemporary? Who is the woman who falls in love with a Gigolo without hiring him? Who is interested in who he really is, and not in him fulfilling her needs? Or is it possible to have a relationship that’s not transactional?”
This particular scene hints at a strong connection between Michelle and Julian, one so intense that, even after 15 years, it’s almost carnal when they meet again.
“The scene I see, as edited, because we shot many versions/variations, begins to address the attraction between two people who are both in transactional relationships that aren’t alive with any real chemistry,” Mol says. “They meet each other to explore some dynamic that they sense might be more alive and gratifying.”
American Gigolo premieres Sun., Sept. 11 on Showtime.
