Rating: 
Summary: The Artful Roger
Review: Roger Swanson is a coldhearted, fast-talking yuppie businessman who has cynically reduced the man-woman equation to its Darwinian essentials. To Roger, women are objects to be conquered not people to be respected, and he has learned to employ his good looks, charm and over-analytical mind in the service of getting laid. When Nick, his naïve, inexperienced 16-year old nephew comes to town, Roger decides to train the boy in the fine art of manipulation and seduction, taking him out for a night on the town that the youngster will not soon forget. As conceived by first time writer/director Dylan Kidd, "Roger Dodger" is less a full-fledged narrative and more a series of extended conversations. And I, for one, couldn't be happier, for the dialogue Kidd has come up with is sharp, observant, insightful and witty, as Roger opens up and reveals his unique perspective on the dating scene. He uses his mouth like a machine gun, shooting rounds of rapid-fire, staccato comments, indifferent to who's left standing when he's done. He really has no qualms about "corrupting" his underage nephew, never seeing or caring about the corrosive effect he may be having on him. In the process, we learn quite a bit about Roger as a person, most especially the aloofness he feels from others and his inability to make any kind of emotional connection that really works. Long estranged from his father and sister, Roger is also facing a breakup with the older woman he's recently come to fancy (his boss in fact). Roger is a humorous figure but also an immensely sad one, for he really does seem - for all his bravado and bluster to the contrary - to be a lonely, unhappy guy. We are simultaneously drawn to him by his confidence and charisma and repelled by his smarminess and coldness, just like the characters in the film. As Roger, Campbell Scott does a superb job bringing out both of those seemingly contradictory qualities. A non-stop talker, Roger knows how to draw all the attention in the room to himself; he is (at the risk of mixing my metaphors here) like a chattering vortex up there on the screen and we can't help but be sucked in by his personality and presence. No wonder Scott won the 2002 award for Best Actor from the National Board of Review. In fact, I haven't seen a performance this smooth, alive and energetic in a very long time. Equally impressive is young Jesse Eisenberg whose wide-eyed innocence and youthful decency provide an effective counterpoint to the brash but empty Roger. Isabella Rossellini, Elizabeth Berkley and Jennifer Beals also turn in outstanding performances as the various ladies who play a part in the two men's adventure. In his debut film, Kidd shows himself to be in full control of his medium. He employs a jittery, handheld camera in almost every scene, a technique that may bother some people but which heightens the sense of realism so essential to the nature of the story. In this way, the audience is made to feel almost like an eavesdropper on the various conversations. Kidd should also be commended - in this day of maximum special effects and minimal verbiage - for allowing his characters to speak at great length on any number of topics. Many another filmmaker would have felt intimidated by such a heavy reliance on dialogue. Kidd, obviously, feels intoxicated by the beauty of language and his intoxication becomes ours. Roger is a fascinating case study mainly because we feel so ambivalent in our attitude towards him. Just as we are about to consign him to the category of heartless, cold-blooded bastard, he wins us over by showing us that barest glimmer of humanity that peeks out every so often from beneath his well-oiled exterior. "Roger Dodger" is not only an intriguing, amusing and poignant tale of realtionships and sex in the modern world, but a confident first film that augurs well for its gifted young maker.
Rating:
Summary: A Cynical Coming of Age Story...
Review: Roger, cynical advertising specialist, is dumped by his girlfriend/boss as he has difficulty growing up, or at least it seems that is why she broke up with him. During this rough time Roger has a visit from his nephew, Nick, who struggles with how to approach women, which is something Roger is a self-proclaimed specialist in. This brings Roger and Nick on a quest for sin and pleasure that goes astray. Roger Dodger is a well written story with several cynical insights that lead the characters through a coming of age story that offers a pretty good cinematic experience.
Rating:
Summary: A Cynical Coming of Age Story...
Review: Roger, cynical advertising specialist, is dumped by his girlfriend/boss as he has difficulty growing up, or at least it seems that is why she broke up with him. During this rough time Roger has a visit from his nephew, Nick, who struggles with how to approach women, which is something Roger is a self-proclaimed specialist in. This brings Roger and Nick on a quest for sin and pleasure that goes astray. Roger Dodger is a well written story with several cynical insights that lead the characters through a coming of age story that offers a pretty good cinematic experience.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie
Review: Roger, the main character of the movie, is jilted by his older lover, who is also his boss. His nephew, Nick, comes down from Ohio to visit him. He teaches his nephew Nick about girls but from a chauvinistic point of view. Roger's disappointment with his lover leads him to use his nephew as an experiment to get women to succumb to him. Nick being shy and awkward, doesn't exactly go along with what he says because these women, despite their reputations, are human and deserve to be respected.
Roger failed to handle his emotions when he was jilted by his lover. Instead, he chose to shoot off his mouth and make a spectacle of himself. Taking his nephew to a whorehouse made him realize what he could be doing was damaging the teenager. Roger also needed to go back home and find out who he really was. He chose to run away from humble beings and never return. Sometimes it takes someone from the outside to see what it is that can be harmful to the self. This movie was a good movie to watch on the sexes but also on how to handle relationships.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't bother.....
Review: So Scott plays an unpleasant smart aleck. Wow. This is award-winning material? Goes to show you how bereft Hollywood is. The sneering Roger wouldn't last if he talked to anyone other than his dumb nephew and a bunch of bimbos--he'd get decked. Who writes this stuff? Your life is too short to waste time on such dreck.
Rating:
Summary: Great character study, excellent acting
Review: The fast-paced, talky, intelligent "Roger Dodger" will prove to be a delight for some viewers. Others may find it abrasive and more than a little offensive. Whatever one's viewpoint, it's hard to deny that Roger Swanson is one memorable character. Roger [Campbell Scott] is a very successful writer at a New York advertising agency. As he puts is, his job is to get people buy things by making them feel bad about themselves. Shrew, fast-talking Roger long ago learned to use the same technique on women. When he meets one he wants, he sizes her up, then begins to say things designed to make her feel that her life needs something. That something is Roger. The bulk of the movie takes place over the course of a day and a night when Roger's manipulative, self-centered world begins to crumble. His latest conquest [Isabella Rossellini], who is also his boss, unceremoniously dumps him in a hilarious scene which shows the great inroads women have made in what used to be exclusively male territory. Then Nick [Jesse Eisenberg], the 16-year old son of his estranged sister in Ohio, shows up. An unexpected bond develops between the two, and soon Roger begins to show the eager lad his technique for getting women. What follows is a series of escapades in which both guys, for better or worse, gets far more than he bargains for. Though the movie takes place in a big city, guys like Roger exist everywhere, and we've all met at least one of them. They are frequently well educated and materially successful, but emotionally they are stuck in their teens. No wonder Roger bonds with Nick. Their maturity levels are about the same. The underrated Scott gives perhaps his best performance to date as pathetic Roger. Eisenberg is touching as the sensitive Nick. The entire supporting cast, which includes Rossellini, Jennifer Beals and Elizabeth Berkley, does a fine job. "Roger Dodger" is a low budget movie. It suffers from some rather shaky hand-held camera work. Despite its technical flaws, it is a highly entertaining character study.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie
Review: The first feature from director Dylan Kidd is a knockout. Campbell Scott was a brilliant stroke of casting and made the movie. Perfect choice. In addition to the wonderful movie are the extras which make the DVD worth double the price. Kidd does a wonderful 'over, under and through' of the movie and is an audio track that shouldn't be missed. In addition the actors have an audio-go as well and a number of shorts explore the movie from all different vantage points. Great collection of extras. My only complaint, and it might be my DVD equipment, but this DVD caused my laser to whirr non-stop. I have not heard laser grinding on my machine like that since I put in an independent, small label, european DVD a couple of months ago which ultimately didn't play (and no it wasn't porno!). It might be the programming on the DVD but who knows? So if you got it put a bag of ice on the ol' machine before having a go at this movie. But grinding or no grinding it is worth a look.
Rating:
Summary: A Rodger Dodger In An Age Of Politically Correct Repression
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Very Funny
Review: This is not a brilliantly insightful movie. It is a comedy, pure and simple. Though there are many cynical witticisms made by the title character Roger (Campbell Scott) in the opening 20 minutes and it seems like the movie is about to carry on in that fashion for its entirety, the movie redeems itself from appealing to a very limited audience (which I would have been a part of anyway) as soon as Roger's nephew Nick enters the film. The movie begins a comically candid introduction to the mind of an average male. Of course, Nick believes that there are other motivations at play in the male mind and has difficulty adapting to his uncle's world. The film's brand of humour is somewhat immature, but so is mine. I found it suprisingly entertaining considering its small budget. Women have to understand that the film is not trying to offend women. Watch it through to the end to see what I'm talking about. The movie kept me interested and entertained for its duration. This movie will never develop any widespread recognition, so watch it while it is still available.
Rating:
Summary: The feel of a very good stageplay in the form of a movie
Review: This movie is not for everyone. There's little action and nothing special in terms of cinematography - it's a pure dialogue movie. It's got the feel of a daring stageplay that's been transformed into a movie. If you go in realizing this, then you'll be happy. Campbell Scott shows that he's got his father's acting skills as he plays a womanizer who's showing his nephew that "Sex is all around you" in New York. And Elizabeth Berkeley! She actually redeemed herself for Showgirls in this movie. This film is not for everyone, but still, a very good piece of film by a freshman writer/director who shows promise.
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