Writer/director Dylan Kidd has turned out an excellent character study here in the guise (at least in marketing and trailers) of a coming-of-age story. The filming is immediate and engaging, using a shaky-cam and lots of close-ups and tight shots to make the settings more intimate and conversational. The script is blinding, as Roger dispenses more self-help wisdom than a guest on Dr. Phil or Oprah, and he does it with the brash arrogance of a deluded intellectual.
Roger, brilliantly played by Campbell Scott, is a guy everyone knows. He bounces from bar to bar, picking up women like its a pastime, but ultimately he's undermined by his own intelligence and desire to be free and single. He's experienced more than his share of heartbreak, but he doesn't like to admit that or dwell on it. He'll just bounce back, but it's not as easy as he thinks when he has to overcome the venom of his own hurtful words.
He's a complicated guy, Roger, and his life seems to get a little more complicated with the arrival of his sixteen-year-old nephew Nick (Jesse Eisenberg). Nick's worried about how to deal with the ladies, so he came to the one man who knows it all - Uncle Roger. Roger sees a way to rebound himself after an interoffice relationship with his boss (Isabella Rosselini) has fallen apart - he'll take Nick under his wing and teach him the ways of love, giving himself a kickstart in the process.
For the rest of the night, Roger and Nick hop from place to place, with Uncle Roger chatting a mile a minute about women, how to get them, how to talk to them, and Nick trying to soak it all up like a sponge. It's witty conversation, but it's heavy and meaningful as well - Roger's words aren't just come-ons, they're looks into his own mindset. Campbell Scott plays Roger with all sorts of textures - he's not oily and nasty; he's a smart guy who doesn't quite know all the rules, but thinks he does. And he's never honest with himself.
Scott's never delivered a stronger performance, and the young Eisenberg more than held his own. 'Roger Dodger' is a solid film that has far more depth and meaning than the typical Freddie Prinze Jr. get-the-girl flick, and has much more to say about relating with others and yourself. Highly recommended - Rating: 8/10
Roger, brilliantly played by Campbell Scott, is a guy everyone knows. He bounces from bar to bar, picking up women like its a pastime, but ultimately he's undermined by his own intelligence and desire to be free and single. He's experienced more than his share of heartbreak, but he doesn't like to admit that or dwell on it. He'll just bounce back, but it's not as easy as he thinks when he has to overcome the venom of his own hurtful words.
He's a complicated guy, Roger, and his life seems to get a little more complicated with the arrival of his sixteen-year-old nephew Nick (Jesse Eisenberg). Nick's worried about how to deal with the ladies, so he came to the one man who knows it all - Uncle Roger. Roger sees a way to rebound himself after an interoffice relationship with his boss (Isabella Rosselini) has fallen apart - he'll take Nick under his wing and teach him the ways of love, giving himself a kickstart in the process.
For the rest of the night, Roger and Nick hop from place to place, with Uncle Roger chatting a mile a minute about women, how to get them, how to talk to them, and Nick trying to soak it all up like a sponge. It's witty conversation, but it's heavy and meaningful as well - Roger's words aren't just come-ons, they're looks into his own mindset. Campbell Scott plays Roger with all sorts of textures - he's not oily and nasty; he's a smart guy who doesn't quite know all the rules, but thinks he does. And he's never honest with himself.
Scott's never delivered a stronger performance, and the young Eisenberg more than held his own. 'Roger Dodger' is a solid film that has far more depth and meaning than the typical Freddie Prinze Jr. get-the-girl flick, and has much more to say about relating with others and yourself. Highly recommended - Rating: 8/10