Roger (Campbell Scott) is a self
assured, confident man. We are introduced to him at lunch while
he explains how men are becoming obsolete. Doctors are
developing ways to fertilize eggs without sperm, soon women will
simply pleasure themselves and men will only be needed for
furniture moving. This feeling pervades the entire movie as
we see the power that women have over men.
In the
middle of an especially rough day for Roger we meet his
16-year-old nephew Nick (Jesse Eisenberg). Nick shows up at his
uncle’s work because his mom says that Roger “is a ladies man.” Roger turns Nick into his project for the night. He is eager to
shed some light into the high school boy’s sexually dull
existence. The two hit the streets of New York where it is
explained, “sex is everywhere.” One must simply know where to
look for it. Be it down the arm of a woman’s sleeve, up her
dress as she comes down stairs or in her reflection at just the
perfect angle when she isn’t looking. One might question
Roger’s “ladies man” status. It seems that he spends more time
admiring women from afar than he does in their company.
“Champions
refuse to lose” is the saying that sums up the evening as the
two go from bar to party attempting to get Nick laid.
Roger throws Nick into situations that every pimple faced boy
has dreamed of. Once Nick is in the situation, he must
learn to skillfully and successfully maneuver himself into a
blissful evening of sex that is talked about in high school
cafeterias across the country.
That being said, no woman is out of
bounds. The drunker they are the better, and if they are passed
out then more power to you! The women in the movie (Isabella
Rossellini, Elizabeth Berkley, and Jennifer Beals) all seem over
the dating scene and find the honesty of a high school boy both
refreshing and more charming than the scheming Roger. When the
boys meet two beautiful women at a bar it is brought to
everyone’s attention that Nick has never had a “real” kiss. One
of the girls gives Nick a sweat-inducing kiss and then realizes
that she will forever be his “first real kiss.” Roger muses that
she has just given Nick something to picture every time he locks
himself in the bathroom.
The
cinematography was absorbing. It throws away the usual camera
angles and shots. The use of sound is intriguingly innovative. The filmmakers have used the tools given to them to draw us into
the movie. They make the viewer a part of the party. I felt as
though I was sitting in the same bar if not at the same table
with the characters. The filmmaker did this through jerkiness
with the camera that is reminiscent of the Blair Witch
Project, but not as drastic. The bar actually
seems crowded as waiters and couples wander in front of the
camera in the middle of conversations. The old stand by of
having the lights go down and the music come up at just the
right moment was never used. Instead we are often left with
long bouts of silence, or lighting that leaves us squinting. As
the boys walk the streets looking for their next target we
simply hear the sounds of New York. The music is just as the
characters would hear it, in the background.
In the end
Roger Dodger is a journey of self-discovery for both
men. Nick discovers that he may have less growing up to do than
he thought, and Roger may still have some more maturing ahead of
him. Nick gains a perspective on not only himself and his
family, but also his place in the world. Best of all, Nick’s
stories will keep the cafeteria buzzing for the rest of the
year.
