Roger Dodger (DVD)

...read the TV-guide synopsis for Roger Dodger, I thought it would be along the lines of a fluffy, teenage sex comedy a la 'American Pie' and I could hardly be forgiven for that assumption - 'When 16-year old Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) visits his uncle Roger (Campbell Scott) in the big city determined to lose his virginity, he is given lessons in life and love.' What the TV-guide didn't mention was, kindly old Uncle Roger turns out to be a smarmy, slimy ...
...failed relationships and cynical outlook, Roger proceeds to give lessons to nephew Nick on how to 'pull' and sleep with women.

With a polished appearance, smart one-liners and an unerring ability to make conversation with whomever he meets, Roger is the antipathy of Nick whose teenage hormones, worldly inexperience and moms basin-cut hair-do are likely to place him at the bottom of any single woman's wish-list of romantic suitors. ... more

When I read the TV-guide synopsis for Roger Dodger, I thought it would be along the lines of a fluffy, teenage sex comedy a la 'American Pie' and I could hardly be forgiven for that assumption - 'When 16-year old Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) visits his uncle Roger (Campbell Scott) in the big city determined to lose his virginity, he is given lessons in life and love.' What the TV-guide didn't mention was, kindly old Uncle Roger turns out to be a smarmy, slimy ad-executive whose views on women are so psychotically cynical, a fluffy weekend in the city turns out to be a damning indictment on the singles scene for the modern man or woman. This is not so much 'American Pie', as 'American Pie-sotically Cynical' (see what I did there?)

Working in the advertising industry has embittered Roger's views and philosophy of the world. 'I make people feel bad so they buy stuff', is a one-line summation of his own vocation he gives at a staff meeting. Men, he feels, are being reduced to little more than a life of servitude, a conduit of sperm to the overruling female population. His boss, Isabella Rossellini, seems to use men for her own purposes before dumping them with cold alacrity and after Rogers relationship with her finishes through her volition, his life is complicated further by the arrival of his 16 year old cousin who is determined to lose his virginity. Against this backdrop of failed relationships and cynical outlook, Roger proceeds to give lessons to nephew Nick on how to 'pull' and sleep with women.

With a polished appearance, smart one-liners and an unerring ability to make conversation with whomever he meets, Roger is the antipathy of Nick whose teenage hormones, worldly inexperience and moms basin-cut hair-do are likely to place him at the bottom of any single woman's wish-list of romantic suitors. Set mainly over a single night on the town, the film follows Roger and Nick as they visit bars and parties with Rogers arrogant confidence providing the gateway to meetings with women.

Really, it's hard to imagine men like Roger existing in real-life but I'm sure there are. He's such an intensely unlikeable character upon first meeting, it's hard to garner sympathy for him. It's also hard to believe any woman would fall for his predatory, borderline desperation masking as accomplished charm, but they do. But as the movie, and the night on the town progresses, there is much more to him than meets the eye. In one scene, by deliberately making himself appear particularly vile and unappealing, he gives his nephew the chance to show what a nave, thoughtful, loving virgin he really is. By doing this, he wrecks his *own* chances of copping off with either of the two gorgeous women they were talking to. Is Roger displaying this altruism for Nicks purpose or his own?

On the face of it, Roger is a one-dimensional character, purely attracted to women for their looks and the soulless sex they can provide on a nightly basis. For me though, there are questions to Rogers motives. He's more hurt about his failed relationship with his boss than he lets on and because of that, his anti-feminist diatribe resonates more in the context of his character. His plans to endear Nick to the members of the opposite sex, while calculating, allow Nick to engage with potential love-interests on a more personal level. Roger seems to do this with cunning precision, showing Nick the true way to a woman's heart is not through the big 'I Am', but to hold *their* interest and be interested in *them*. Through Rogers own cynical and negative notions, Nick learns how to properly interact with women and *not* to treat them as objects to be dominated or owned. Is this abhorrent behaviour normal for Roger or is it a performance for the benefit of his green-horn of a cousin with the intentions of demonstrating what life is really about? (particularly in light of his recently-deceased relationship). Or, is it Nick who is teaching his elder uncle what life *should* be about?

Campbell Scott, playing Roger, brings a superb performance to the movie. At the start, it's so hard to find anything vaguely positive about him but thanks to the sharp dialogue and great acting, your compassion for the guy slowly grows however and it's then you realise there's a lot more substance to him than you originally considered. Jesse Eisenberg is great too, reacting, I'm sure, like any geeky sixteen year old boy would when thrown into those situations. Tongue-tied and stammering when put on the spot, his display of naivety and innocence is in stark contrast to the vulgarity and decadence around him. Elizabeth Berkely (Saved By The Bell, Showgirls) and Jennifer Beals (Flashdance) pop up in small roles as objects of desire for the two main protagonists.

Written and directed by first-time director, Dylan Kidd, at times it has a perceptible documentary-film feel to it. In one scene where Roger and Nick are talking animatedly about the night ahead, they are filmed on a busy sidewalk from across the street. Cars and people pass in front of the camera quite naturally and the viewer feels like they are intruding in on the conversation in a voyeuristic capacity. The script is sharp, incisive and witty and Kidd has done a marvellous job of interpreting this onto the silver screen, creating an eminently-watchable character-driven drama that delves deep into the psyche of relationships between men and women. It's a terrific advertisement for independent film.

Highly Recommended.

Running time: 106 minutes

Cast: Campbell Scott, Jesse Eisenberg, Isabella Rossellini, Elizabeth Berkley, Jennifer Beals

Trivia: Jesse was really sick for the nightclub scene and he can be seen sweating quite profusely because of it. Source: IMDB

Also on Epinions 

...less