93 of 102 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
TOP 10 REASONS TO WATCH THIS MOVIE, May 8, 2003
This review is from: Swingers (Miramax Collector's Series) (DVD)
Swingers could be a hip movie, a Guys movie, great-sagacious-advice movie, a warm-amusing movie, this-is-what-friendship-is-about movie, or simply one of the most facetious for-a-lark flicks of the 90s. But whatever tag you wish to stick on it, this honest, low-budget humdinger from Liman is very very "money"!
Top 10 reasons to get your hands on this movie now:
(1) It's fast-paced, well edited (not one wasted scene) and frequently laugh-out-loud funny. If you hear people dismiss this as an inconsequential narrative about a "bunch of losers trying to get laid", I'm afraid they just have not watched the entire movie. I am not into the "Spy who shagged me" genre of humor, but this movie will truly grow on you.
(2) It'll ring a bell with almost anyone, particularly guys. Mike -- a crestfallen loverboy (Jon Favreau) is in the throes of a breakup, and his confidence has hit rock bottom. (Sidenote: Favreau is a very ordinary looking guy, which in fact imho is the power of his character.) Under the aegis of his friend Trent (Vince Vaughn, in top form, a lot better than his controlled acting in, gulp, The Psycho) Mike re-learns how to get back up on his feet and take reins of his life/emotions again. While this happens, we are treated to a bunch of every-day faux pas that we all can identify with in a blink. Interested yet?
(3) The boys' camaraderie is infectious. If you watch this movie with friends -- and this indeed is the best way to watch it! -- you'll know what I mean. This has to be one of the most honest portrayals of relationships between friends -- both the lover and the platonic variety.
(4) Call me weird but I loved the sound track, a delectable blend of underground jazz and triphop.
(5) Some of the "get back on your feet" dialogue for Mike is truly marvellous, and makes for better, more down-to-earth, more inspiring advice about life and relationships than Dr. Ruth and Oprah put together.
(6) An interesting look at the Los Angeles we never see in films, the underground life of the struggling actors and writers and less glamorous people, not living in Malibu opulence as seen in other weaker films.
(7) Some great Sega Genesis NHL ice-hockey "footage" (to use a dignified term) and an unusual preview of seeing Gretzky's head knocked.
(8) This is to men what "Sex and the City" is to women. (Ok, SATC has had a lot more time than Swingers to entice us with the workings of the Modern Woman, but you get the idea)
(9) A wide assortment of one-liners for you to conveniently plagiarize from. Not seen in a single movie since Roxanne with Steve Martin.
(10) Oh, and it's so laid back, its horizontal. No spiffy visual FX, no crash boom bang, no cheap frills. But still a high handsome homerun.
Required Viewing.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It may be a "guy movie" but this chick LOVES it, September 28, 1999
By A Customer
I may not be able to relate to it as well as I can to, say, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, but I have never laughed so hard at any movie in my life. And relating isn't so important if you can understand and empathize the characters. I saw a little bit of me in Trent (loud, outspoken) and a little of my friends in Mike and Sue. It helps the average girl understand the not-so-normal thinking of the not-so-average guy that we all end up falling for. And besides all that, it's realistic. Name another '90's movie that is more realistic. The story is great, the acting perfect, the direction great. Buy this or rent it. No matter what your gender.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"This is the guy behind the guy behind the guy", May 16, 2006
This review is from: Swingers (Miramax Collector's Series) (DVD)
It's shocking to see, here on Amazon, that this movie only grossed $5 million in the theaters. Swingers has gone on to become an incredibly popular movie. It made Vince Vaughn's career as an actor and defined Jon Favreau's career both as an actor and as a writer.
This is the kind of movie that every man can relate to on at least one level. Most men can probably relate to both of the main characters: each representing one side of us in our dealings with women. On the one hand, the sensitive man who isn't afraid to reveal himself - and on the other hand, the player, who doesn't have any pretentions and makes no apologies for his brash behavior. Both are real and both have their pros and cons. They are both well-represented in Swingers.
I first saw this movie when I was about 17 years old. I loved the characters and I loved the flow of the movie, but I find that when I watch it now (in my mid-20s), I appreciate it on a whole different level. For those of us who are shy and reserved, this movie almost makes you want to come out of your shell. It can almost be called "inspirational" in how it will goad you to get the hell out there are let it all hang out. Great lines are delivered throughout the script. Mike and Trent compliment each other very well and they have some great scenes together.
This is an indie-film classic. The kind of movie that you never get tired of.
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