Product Description

Studio: Lions Gate Home Ent. Release Date: 09/23/2003 Run time: 106 minutes Rating: R

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14672 in DVD
• Brand: Lions Gate
• Released on: 2003-03-18
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 106 minutes

Amazon.com
Campbell Scott bristles, burns, and sneers as Roger, a would-be smoothie who gets jilted by his older lover (who also happens to be his boss at an advertising agency). When his teenage nephew Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) appears at his office the next day, hoping for lessons in how to deal with the ladies, Roger uses his nephew partly as a foil, partly as a prop as he vents his anger and unhappiness on women in a scathing tour of bars and parties. A sharp script and multidimensional performances make Roger Dodger more than a standard war-of-the-sexes diatribe. Scott (Big Night, The Spanish Prisoner) doesn't ask for sympathy and doesn't allow for pity--his award-winning performance as Roger has defiance and dignity, whether the character is spitting bile or humiliating himself. Featuring strong supporting performances from Eisenberg, Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet), Jennifer Beals (In the Soup), and (surprise) Elizabeth Berkley (Showgirls). --Bret Fetzer

From The New Yorker
A smart and sulfurous début from the writer and director Dylan Kidd. Campbell Scott stars as Roger, whose career is in advertising but whose raison d'tre is the untiring pursuit of sex. (Almost no love is made in the film, yet the craving for it fills every frame.) Having been jilted by his lover (Isabella Rossellini), who also happens to be his boss, Roger goes hunting by night, in the company of his callow nephew (Jesse Eisenberg) from Ohio. The twist is simple enough: the older man has much to teach but even more to learn. Being Roger, however, he refuses to improve, and it's the bullish, unsentimental drive of the movie that insures its comic kick. The supporting cast, including Jennifer Beals and Elizabeth Berkley, plays nicely off the central monster, but this is Scott's movie all the way. He is rarely off camera, but he does not abuse that privilege; there is restraint, and far more wit than you'd expect, in his dazzling depiction of a rampage. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

good movie
the guy is not quite a pick up artist but more of a jerk that gets girls.

Roger Dodger - Compelling and Revolting All At Once

The type of character that is portrayed in Roger Dodger is like a lot of guys I have met. I have known guys that slowly drifted into seeking to stroke their egos by sleeping with anybody they could and acting like they were WAY COOLER than they actually were. That is why this portrayal is so amazing. It takes a lot for an actor to portray such a polarizing character this well. This is truly a great film for lovers of great acting.

Some people may relate to this character and find his desperation and antics funny. Others may be revolted by his personality. I am more in the second camp. One thing is for certain, this role was nailed by the lead actor, Campbell Scott.

The Story and the Script

Roger's character is manipulative, egotistical and yet obviously trying to compensate for something. He has an affair with his boss, played by Isabella Rossallini. Yet it's really more like she uses him till she tires of him. As he drifts from bar to bar trying to pick up women with transparent and conceited attempts to seem intelligent and observant, we get to see just how clueless, pathetic and desperate he really is. Oh yeah, this is a NY city story for sure!

When his nephew Nick comes to the city for college interviews, Roger takes him to many places where he shouldn't be. Roger revels in feeling like he has a lot to teach young Nick about women, yet Nick seems to do better just being himself instead of using Roger's sleazy tactics. While I won't give away the entire plot, suffice it to say it's not the story but rather the performances that impress.
In many ways, the supporting cast in particular seems to have been given sparse lines. Yet the acting and direction are so good that the script is perfectly supported.
The Cast

Campbell Scott really opened my eyes with his portrayal of Roger. Somehow he was able to really capture and portray the complicated mix of negative and positive character traits.

Jesse Eisenberg is very impressive, but his part was clearly written in a way that makes it easier to play than Roger's. Isabella Rossallini is wonderful as always.

Yet the roles played by Elizabeth Berkeley and Jennifer Beals are perfect examples of why this film works. On the one hand, they have minimal roles with few lines. Yet the close camera work allows you to see so many non-verbal cues in their faces and gestures. Their roles are minimal, yet highly impactful because of the way they are executed. Roger's co-workers by and large have similarly understated yet effective roles.

Conclusion

I highly recommend this movie to actors and lovers of independent film. If you are a huge fan of dialogue and sharp wit, you will find yourself pulled in to this movie. Definitely check it out.

Enjoy!

Shame they forgot about the plot.
A teenager goes to his uncle for help in learning how to seduce women. It's just a shame that the makers of this film forgot about a plot and made the uncle's character a bit of an idiot. I was glad when this film ended. A tedious way to spend 100 minutes. You have been warned.