JohnDoe
Bryn
Brenton
Roger Dodger (2002)
Roger Dodger
DVD Cover
Starring:Campbell Scott, Isabella Rossellini, Chris Stack, Jesse Eisenberg
Length:106 Minutes
“I could tell you that what you think of as your personality is nothing but a collection of Vanity Fair articles. I could tell you your choice of sexual partners this evening was decided months ago by some account executive at Young & Rubicam. I could tell you that given a week to study your father and the ways in which he ignores you I could come up with a shtick you'd be helpless to resist. Helpless.”-Roger
Looking for something to watch on Saturday night that caters for both men and women? If so your quest is over, scathingly witty, astutely observant and constantly entertaining, that’s just the screenplay.
Roger Dawson (Campbell Scott) is a misogynistic, ego driven, bullshit artist, a keen observer and passionate philosopher on the human gender and species.
An emotionally shallow player who is to smart for his own good. Not as smooth as he thinks, endlessly dazzling with word play, confidently sharing his opinions with anyone who will listen.
“And when they're feeling sufficiently incomplete, you convince them your product is the only thing that can fill the void. So instead of taking steps to deal with their lives, instead of working to root out the real reason for their misery, they go out and buy a stupid looking pair of cargo pants.”-Roger
Enter his naive and inexperienced nephew Nick (Jesse Eisenberg), a captive audience who wants to learn about women and life. So begins the preaching and lessons, strictly on Roger's terms and with no attachment.
“You drink that drink! Alcohol has been a social lubricant for thousands of years. What do you think, you're going to sit here tonight and reinvent the wheel?”-Roger
John Doe says:
Roger Dodger is a comedy with substance not a fluff romantic piece or coming of age story, entertaining in a genre I usually don’t enjoy.
Regular readers may have noticed I love dialogue, and a multi dimensional script is generally a large factor in my appreciation of a film. Some are subtle and employ a less is more approach, this one goes for verbal diarrhoea that is handled deftly and reeks of personal experience. The opening monologue will show you everything I’m talking about.
Tight and quotable, attacking clichéd situations from an alternate angle, this original film has genuine belly laughs plus heart felt emotion and memorable characters. Best of all it has something to say and gets its message across with skill, while not ramming it down your throat.
Campbell Scott (Spanish Prisoner, The Impostors, The Day Trippers, Singles) is a gifted actor whose delivery and mannerisms make an obnoxious, seemingly unlikable character immensely and eerily charming.
All the cast, yes, even Elizabeth Berkley deliver well thought out characterizations and the young Jessie Eisenberg is talented and shows a lot of promise.
Insightful and sincere, I like to think I’m not the only man who sees a little of himself in Roger.
“Natural selection, now that is a principle of nature, selection, something has to lose, something has to be defeated in order for something else to be selected”-Roger
The DVD:
Obviously with such a new film the image and sound transfer is faultless. There are also some brief cast and crew interviews and a fun feature A Players Guide To Scoring Woman. If you’re already a fan of the film the US edition has a lot more extras and is well worth getting for the commentary.
“I could tell you that what you think of as your personality is nothing but a collection of Vanity Fair articles. I could tell you your choice of sexual partners this evening was decided months ago by some account executive at Young & Rubicam. I could tell you that given a week to study your father and the ways in which he ignores you I could come up with a shtick you'd be helpless to resist. Helpless.”-Roger
Looking for something to watch on Saturday night that caters for both men and women? If so your quest is over, scathingly witty, astutely observant and constantly entertaining, that’s just the screenplay.
Roger Dawson (Campbell Scott) is a misogynistic, ego driven, bullshit artist, a keen observer and passionate philosopher on the human gender and species.
An emotionally shallow player who is to smart for his own good. Not as smooth as he thinks, endlessly dazzling with word play, confidently sharing his opinions with anyone who will listen.
“And when they're feeling sufficiently incomplete, you convince them your product is the only thing that can fill the void. So instead of taking steps to deal with their lives, instead of working to root out the real reason for their misery, they go out and buy a stupid looking pair of cargo pants.”-Roger
Enter his naive and inexperienced nephew Nick (Jesse Eisenberg), a captive audience who wants to learn about women and life. So begins the preaching and lessons, strictly on Roger's terms and with no attachment.
“You drink that drink! Alcohol has been a social lubricant for thousands of years. What do you think, you're going to sit here tonight and reinvent the wheel?”-Roger
John Doe says:
Roger Dodger is a comedy with substance not a fluff romantic piece or coming of age story, entertaining in a genre I usually don’t enjoy.
Regular readers may have noticed I love dialogue, and a multi dimensional script is generally a large factor in my appreciation of a film. Some are subtle and employ a less is more approach, this one goes for verbal diarrhoea that is handled deftly and reeks of personal experience. The opening monologue will show you everything I’m talking about.
Tight and quotable, attacking clichéd situations from an alternate angle, this original film has genuine belly laughs plus heart felt emotion and memorable characters. Best of all it has something to say and gets its message across with skill, while not ramming it down your throat.
Campbell Scott (Spanish Prisoner, The Impostors, The Day Trippers, Singles) is a gifted actor whose delivery and mannerisms make an obnoxious, seemingly unlikable character immensely and eerily charming.
All the cast, yes, even Elizabeth Berkley deliver well thought out characterizations and the young Jessie Eisenberg is talented and shows a lot of promise.
Insightful and sincere, I like to think I’m not the only man who sees a little of himself in Roger.
“Natural selection, now that is a principle of nature, selection, something has to lose, something has to be defeated in order for something else to be selected”-Roger
The DVD:
Obviously with such a new film the image and sound transfer is faultless. There are also some brief cast and crew interviews and a fun feature A Players Guide To Scoring Woman. If you’re already a fan of the film the US edition has a lot more extras and is well worth getting for the commentary.
"Look into my eyes and trust me. be the ball Danny, be the ball."
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Elizabeth Berkley is reknowned for her epic lack of talent, starring in Saved By The Bell and paul verhoven's Showgirls. Its not like this film changes anything, but she doesnt make a complete idiot of herself in this.
Nice to see you again Chantal,
There are definetly similarities between the characters of Patrick Bateman(American Psycho) and Roger Dodger. Me thinks you will dig it.
Film & TV on DVD
It was Dylan Kidd's first screenplay and their is no denying Roger is a cad, but a fluent one.
Roger represents the pick up artist for his unlikability, but for this male there is a disarming attraction to his actions that forces us to assess ourselves.
He is a mirror of what most men at one stage or another want to be, a player and womanizer. The film shows how sad and shallow that existence is, in its own way its just like Sex in The City only with substance.