Film For Thought

You may be forgiven for thinking that Ashton Kutcher may not be stretching himself too far in playing a vacuous, narcissistic playboy fond of shacking up with opulent older women (sorry Demi), and unsurprisingly Kutcher slips into the role of Nikki with an ease that would have been greatly appreciated in some of his previous performances. Nikki is homeless and car-less, but blessed with those chiseled features, perfect pecs and the gift of the gab that makes him irresistible to the ladies (young and old) who allow him to become every bit the American gigolo.

David Mackenzie's follow up to 2007's excellent Hallam Foe has all the raw eroticism of his previous features but sadly lacks any hint of charm comparable to its predecessor. It's only a matter of time before the inevitable happens and Nikki is punished for his immoral actions, before seeing the error of his ways and seeking some form of redemption.

The early satire of the darker side of the L.A. high-life (complete with a vaginal rejuvenation) allows for an interesting - if frustratingly brief - insight into the shallow, mutual exploitation said to exist in the land of the rich and famous. In fairness to Kutcher he puts in a competent performance, as does Anne Heche as Nikki's older lover who undergoes the aforementioned operation in pursuit of prolonging her cougar-ish desirability. Ultimately, however, the more interesting edges are smoothed away when Nikki dubiously meets his female equivalent and we're asked to root for a character who's spent the past hour repelling us.

Verdict - A film caught between genres and caught in two minds plot-wise. There's definitely something interesting in there somewhere - but it's struggling to peek out.