| | | Sex is everywhere.
Features: DVD, Widescreen, Dolby Digital (5.1), Dolby, Digital Audio, Spanish
Set in Manhattan, Roger Dodger takes a comic look at the male ego and the art of manipulating women. Campbell Scott stars as Roger, a sharp-witted advertising copywriter who can talk his way into any skirt. Which is exactly why his nephew, Nick, pays him a visit. With Nick's virginity at stake, Roger takes him out for a one-night crash course in seduction, only to realize he still has something to learn about women... and himself.
"A sophisticated but intriguingly toxic comedy of manners." Desson Howe, Washington Post
"The terrific and bewilderingly underrated Campbell Scott gives a star performance that is nothing short of mesmerizing." Rex Reed, New York Observer
"Sly, sophisticated and surprising." Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
Editor's Note
After cynical New York advertising copywriter Roger Swanson (Campbell Scott) is dumped by his on-again/off-again girlfriend, Joyce (Isabella Rossellini), who is also his boss, his painful workday is further complicated by the unexpected arrival of his 16 year-old nephew, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg). After asking to spend the night at Roger's, Nick reveals that he has come to ask for help--in hopes of ditching his virginal status, Nick begs Roger for a lesson in the art of seduction. Embittered Roger then takes on the role of a nocturnal drill sergeant in an imaginary war between the sexes, starting Nick's training at an upscale singles bar. There, they meet two beautiful women (Jennifer Beals and Elizabeth Berkeley) who turn out to be less malleable than Roger expects. Before the night is through, Roger and Nick go to some dark places where their preconceptions about women get smashed to pieces.With ROGER DODGER, first time writer-director Dylan Kidd has created a unique look at male-female relationships, full of memorable and comic platitudes spoken by a lead character as fascinating as he is unpleasant. As Roger, Scott (who also produced the film) creates a character who is very difficult to like, but is no less compelling for it. Eisenberg proves to be a worthy foil in an impressive debut. The film takes an impressively dark turn in its third act, and adventurous viewers are likely to relish this offbeat journey.
| Features | Player's Guide To Scoring With Women | | Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Stereo; French Dolby Digital Stereo | | Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Widescreen Version Enhanced For 16x9 TVs | | New York At Night: The Roger Dodger Walking Tour With Jesse Eisenberg | | Audio Commentary By Director Dylan Kidd And Director Of Photography Joaquin Baca-Asay | | Audio Commentary By Director Dylan Kidd, Campbell Scott And Jesse Eisenberg | | Director's Preface To The DVD Special Features | | Examination Of A Scene | | Deleted Scenes With Optional Director Commentary | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Theatrical Trailer |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Artisan |
| Release Date: 10/21/2003 |
| Running Time: 106 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2002 | | Catalog ID: 13806 | | UPC: 00012236138068 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English | | Available Subtitles: Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | Box Office
"...Campbell Scott toplines a terrific cast with his spot-on portrayal....RODGER DODGER is a fresh, original look at sex, replete with scathing humor, pathos and memorable characters..." 10/01/2002 p.59Rolling Stone
"...[The] laughs come with a sting....Campbell Scott is sensationally good..." 10/19/2002 p.114 New York Times
"...Acutely witty....An extremely promising first feature. Even its smaller performances are noteworthy..." 10/25/2002 p.E10 Entertainment Weekly
"...Searingly written and acted....It's a portrait of a veteran Manhattan swinger, played with bitter cascading brilliance by Campbell Scott..." 11/01/2002 p.51 USA Today
"...[Scott] triumphs..." 11/01/2002 p.10E Los Angeles Times
"...[An] astute film....ROGER DODGER is so confidently made it hardly feels like a debut....A feature that shares with its characters a willingness to take risks and end up, like them, in places they never expected to be..." 10/25/2002 p.C8 Film Comment
"...As a director, Kidd shows enormous visual promise..." 03/01/2003 p.79 Sight and Sound
"...Kidd's dialogue gives off a ribald crackle; there are traces of Whit Stillman's whizz-bang patter, and an acidic drop of Mamet..." 09/01/2003 p.61-2 San Francisco Examiner 8 of 10
Indeed, one of the very best things about Roger Dodger is its ability to upend expectations and subvert first impressions. The skittish hand-held camerawork underscores the instability, as does Campbell's protean lead performance. His nervy and nuanced portrayal of the restless Roger is a fearless mix of practiced cool, acerbic wit, razor-sharp insight, barely contained rage and deep reservoirs of self-loathing. - Joe Leydon
James Berardinelli's ReelViews 8 of 10
Roger Dodger is a delight for anyone who loves to absorb dialogue. The movie is almost all talk and no action, and possesses the "feel" (although not the pedigree) of a stage production translated to the screen. The plot is virtually non-existent and the character development is limited, but the longer the viewer listens to the lead character's monologues and conversations with various other individuals, the clearer it becomes that there are some fascinating philosophies being bandied about. Most of what is discussed in Roger Dodger pertains to sex and gender differences, and, while none of writer/director Dylan Kidd's observations are stunningly original, they are almost always interesting. - James Berardinelli
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