4.0 out of 5 stars
Say What?, July 9 2004
This review is from: Roger Dodger (DVD)
Great dialogue and perfect casting made this film work so well. "Roger Dodger" made me realize that in our ADD-plagued world, people don't listen very well. What a shame, though a sharp tongue can be your downfall along with the habit of botching the dreams of others. Lots going on here and a clever resolution at the end is unexpectedly welcome-nearly perfect.
Michael Duranko
www.bootism.com
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A Rodger Dodger In An Age Of Politically Correct Repression, Jun 21 2004
This review is from: Roger Dodger (DVD)
This is a fun "art house" movie. Fun because the script is tight and the acting top notch and you know from the start you are in the hands of a good director. Just the kind of thing you want from a night at an art house: not a message movie like many such films but instead in-your-face film making - and three cheers for that. Campbell Scott plays the smooth player who tutors his nephew Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) on how to get laid. The action takes place mostly in one night of bar and party hopping. This script is so good that any bar lizard could learn from the lines and strategy used by Scott's character. Scott's character is an accomplished and dedicated player who never sees the wrong in his ways and that is the delicious and honest part of the film. One review talked about the player venting his anger at women but my take was that he stayed in control the entire movie, venting naturally (and within limits) when he was thrown over by his boss/lover. Like him or hate him, the player is a pro from beginning to end. The viewer has to decide whether he likes or dislikes women. In the final analysis what matters is how well Campbell Scott's character plays the game and he is a rodger dodger in an age of Politically Correct repression. How refreshing! Five stars out of five.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
crackling dialogue with good performances, May 26 2004
This review is from: Roger Dodger (DVD)
A film by Dylan Kidd
The movie opens with Roger (Campbell Scott) sitting in a café with his coworkers and speaking exactly what is on his mind and the topic is women and how destructive women will be to men and a male society. This is interesting stuff and perfectly shows just how far out there Roger is and what his point of view is on life and women. He really believes what he is saying.
After he is dumped by his lover, who happens to be his boss, Roger returns to his office at work and finds his nephew Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) standing there, waiting. With a little bit of prompting, Roger takes Nick out on the town with the intent on teaching Nick about women and to help Nick with his first "conquest". What we have is a mixing of Nick's hesitant, nervous innocence with Roger's scorn, confidence, and perhaps even distaste for women as anything but an object to acquire.
Considering what the subject matter is, I did not expect to like this movie very much. I was surprised. The dialogue is sharp, and it is easy to see why this movie was produced, the screenplay must have been a real gem to find. Visually, "Roger Dodger" is not much to look at, but the performances and the dialogue help it to rise above what it could have been. "Roger Dodger" also co-stars Isabella Rossellini and Elizabeth Berkley.
-Joe Sherry
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