Filmmaker Woody Allen gets in front of the camera for "Fading Gigolo" and leaves the writing and directing to co-star John Turturro. It’s a crazy, but funny, story. Allen plays Murray, who is shook up, as he is about to lose his bookstore. Turturro is his younger buddy Fioravante, a florist. Murray’s shapely dermatologist is Dr. Parker (Sharon Stone). She and the luscious Selima (Sofia Vergara) are friends with benefits. They want to find a man worthy of a threesome. They enlist Murray to find him and will pay the lucky stud $1,000. Now that is totally insane. Those women would never have to pay a man for anything. What’s more, from this man’s point of view, we don’t see enough of them in the picture.
But I digress. Murray persuades Fioravante to be the "ho" and he becomes the "pimp." That’s how they describe themselves. Fioravante has a tryout with Dr. Parker and passes with flying colors. He comes through again in the main event and gets a $500 tip. Murray gets a substantial cut of all money received including the tip, comparing it to the money restaurant servers give busboys from their tips.
The business booms and they are raking in the cash, which Murray’s live-in singer, played by Jill Scott, and her four kids enjoy. One day Avital (Vanessa Paradis), the beautiful, young widow of a Hasidic rabbi, is booked for Fioravante. A big Jewish neighborhood watch officer named Dovi (Liev Schreiber) is in love with Avital. He suspects something and things take a sharp turn. Revealing more would spoil the picture, which is well worth seeing. …
PREVENT CHILD Abuse Hawaii is up for a Guinness world record for the largest collection of plush toys. "We are still waiting for confirmation from Guinness," said Aileen Deese, head of Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii. "We collected 7,618 stuffed animals (for abused children)." The 17th Annual Teddy Bear Round-Up and Family Resource Fair was held April 26 at Windward Mall Center Court. …
ST. ANDREW’S Schools’ eighth annual Queen Emma Ball is Thursday at the Sheraton Waikiki. The late Irmgard Farden Aluli, class of 1929, the late Iolani Luahine, class of 1935, and Dennis Francis, president and publisher of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, will be honored. The Priory grads will receive the inaugural Queen Emma Alumnae Award, the highest form of recognition given by St. Andrew’s Schools. Aluli and Luahine made significant contributions to Hawaiian music and hula, respectively. Francis was selected because his contributions "are aligned with furthering Queen Emma’s vision of educating the next generation of Hawaii’s leaders," said Sandra Theunick, St. Andrew’s head of schools. A live and silent auction, dinner and entertainment are included in the ball, which gets underway at 5:30 p.m. Co-chairing are Mark Polivka and Karen Tiller Polivka. Tickets are $150; call 532-2454 …
THE HAWAI’I Academy of Recording Arts presents the sold-out Na Hoku Hanohano Awards Saturday at the Hawai‘i Convention Center. About 1,450 people are expected. Doors open at 4:45 p.m. following a cocktail hour on the fourth floor. Billy V is emcee. (Check HonoluluPulse.com for results and photos) …
Ben Wood, who sold newspapers on Honolulu streets in World War II, writes of people, places and things. Email him at bwood@staradvertiser.com.
