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In the role that catapulted him into Hollywood stardom, Richard Gere plays Julian Kaye – a high-priced escort servicing wealthy clientele across Los Angeles. Filling in for a friend, Kaye attends a job for a Mr Rheiman and his wife Judy, who make him uncomfortable with their sexually violent requests. A few days later, Judy is found dead and the police identify Kaye as the prime suspect, with that night’s client unwilling to damage her marriage by providing an alibi on his behalf.

Writer-director Paul Schrader guides the audience through a luxuriant but curiously melancholy Los Angeles in this absorbing thriller that cannily blends the cerebral austerity of Bresson’s Pickpocket 1959 with the disco grandeur of Giorgio Moroder and Blondie, who provide the film’s soundtrack and title song 'Call Me'. Gere delivers an icy performance as the enigmatic Kaye; his Armani suits tailored perfectly to his manicured body, a beautiful shell for his empty existence.