Roger Dodger Review

Roger Dodger
Arrogant advertising copywriter Roger thinks he's capable of talking any woman into bed. But a night out on the tiles in Manhattan, teaching his 16 year-old nephew the rules of the game, reveals the flaws in Roger's worldview.

by Alan Morrison |
Published on
Release Date:

15 Aug 2003

Running Time:

106 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Roger Dodger

There's an obvious comparison to be made between Dylan Kidd's debut and Neil LaBute's 'In The Company Of Men': both feature cocky American office workers whose chat-up techniques and attitudes to women are misogynistic by anyone's definition.

But while LaBute's film is the more acidic of the two, Kidd is the more judgmental. Before the end, slick-talking Roger's career, family standing and sense of self-worth all come under attack.

The hand-held camerawork mirrors Roger's unsettled state, but this talk-heavy movie would be little more than a script on screen were it not for Scott's performance.

As a predator ruthlessly searching for vulnerability in his prey, Roger thinks himself a master of the universe. But as this uncle-nephew Faustian pact moves from penthouse to underground brothel, Scott chips away at Roger's obnoxious faþade to reveal a man hell-bent on self-destruction.

Certain speeches sound like self-conscious social theses, but Scott ensures that the plaudits are shared evenly between script and character.
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