Roger Dodger
"Sex is everywhere." It's not the most imaginative tagline, but fortunately Rodger Dodger transcends battle-of-the-sexes cliches to become one of the best films of 2002. Led by Campbell Scott, who's already captured the Best Actor crown from the National Board of Review, this cross between In The Company Of Men and Swingers delivers plenty of laughs.
Scott plays Roger Swanson, a sleazy but talented ad copywriter by day and an aging womanizer by night. Roger still has the moves, but with age has come a bitterness that often shines through during his attempts at seduction. As the film begins, his boss Joyce (Isabella Rossellini, Blue Velvet) is ending their affair -- much to Roger's displeasure.
After a heated exhange with Joyce, Roger walks back to his cubicle to discover Nick (newcomer Jesses Eisenburg), his teenage nephew. Roger hasn't seen Nick in several years (he's not on speaking terms with his sister/Nick's mom), but Nick has dropped by to pay him a visit while visiting colleges in the area.
At first, Roger is utterly uninterested in catching up with Nick and does his best to blow him off. But then Nick gets his attention with a simple request: "Teach me how to seduce women." Before the 16-year-old Nick knows what hit him, he's at a bar with Roger soaking in advice and attempting to reel in the ladies.
First-time writer/director Dylan Kidd has a great idea here, and he runs with it to the fullest. The script does a great job of balancing Roger's misogynistic impulses with Nick's innocence, and the result is one amusing scene after another. The aforementioned bar scene, in which Roger and Nick pick up two 20-something hotties (played nicely by, of all people, Flashdance's Jennifer Beals and Showgirls' Elizabeth Berkley), is packed with hilarious moments.
Kidd's got more than mere comedy on the brain, though, and the film takes on a gradually darker tone as it proceeds. Shouldering the load is Scott in a memorable, charismatic performance. Scott, who flirted with Hollywood success a decade ago in Singles and Dying Young, has spent recent years doing theater work and quality independent flicks. In Roger Dodger, he plays the role of womanizer with panache to spare. But he also cuts deep to reveal the bitterness, self-loathing and conflicting emotions below the surface. Let's hope there are more accolades to come.
Eisenburg also makes an impressive splash, never becoming annoying despite his sexual innocence and sweetness. This is an actor to watch.
Roger Dodger keep the momentum cooking through a final scene that'll have you laughing your ass off as the closing credits roll. With its unflinching-yet-hilarious look at the male ego at work in the singles scene, Roger Dodger is a definite must-see.
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Considering its hardcore nature, biting dialogue and numerous laughs, this looks to be a new drinking classic .
The film may inspire debate between the sexes, but romance seems like a longshot.
Buy This Double-sided poster At AllPosters.com
Buy This Double-sided poster At AllPosters.com
Related Articles:
1) In The Company Of Men
2) Swingers
3) Singles
