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Special Features
- Director's preface to the special features
- Examination of a scene: Opaline
- Deleted scene with optional director's commentary
- New York at Night: The Roger Dodger Walking Tour with Jesse Eisenberg
- Player's Guide to Scoring with Women
Editorial Reviews
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Customer Reviews
The other thing that I liked about this film is the pace. This is "A Night in the Life" premise but it moves quickly and you really don't realize your watching that type of movie until after it's over. The hook that keeps you watching is not only Scotts performance, but wondering if the nephew is going to lose his virginity.
The only critizism I have of the film is that it's shot entirely hand held. The style lends itself well to the film, but I would love to see what this director does with a steadycam.
You don't "Gotta see this movie!" but it's an intellegent distraction with a unique charm. And a great film for those who like New York stories. A good addition to a library.
Campbell Scott's portrayal of Roger Swanson's conglomeration of fierce intelligence, acute self-loathing and borderline alcoholism was one of the finest performances of 2002. I find that the greatest performances involve an impeccable sense of timing on the part of the actor. Campbell Scott's flawless timing combined with emotional transparency and palpable energy make this performance extraordinary. He deserved an Oscar nomination. Roger Dodger also boasts an excellent supporting cast. Jesse Eisenberg is perfect as sweet, hapless, but eager-to-learn Nick. Isabella Rossallini, Elizabeth Berkley, and Jennifer Beals make solid contributions as Roger's boss and two women whom Roger and Nick try to pick up, respectively.
Roger Dodger doesn't contain any action or romance, and its humor is strictly sardonic. But it is one of the best films of 2002. If you like great movies and great performances, Roger Dodger is a Must-See.
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.
It's an autumn afternoon in New York City. The workday has just ended. Read more
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