In "Roger Dodger," Campbell Scott plays one of the most intriguing characters of the year. Roger is a brilliant advertising copywriter, but he is also an emotional idiot and a cynical know-it-all who uses words and his ability to boil people down to their fears to get what he wants.
But when his beautiful, older boss (Isabella Rossellini) calls off their secret affair, Roger can't coerce her back into the sack with words or actions and, completely unable to cope with his feelings, puts his usual heavy drinking and verbal attacks on women into full force.
Out of nowhere, his 16-year-old nephew, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg), shows up in his cubicle at work, claiming to be in New York for an interview at Columbia, but really to gleen girl advice from his sexually successful Uncle Rog.
The timing couldn't be better, and worse. Roger, who is clearly broken from his Euro-sexy boss' rejection, needs an ego boost, and teaching his geeky nephew about women seems like a weekend band-aid to temporarily cover lifelong wounds. But really, Nick learns what we already know: His suave uncle is a pathetic, emotionally unavailable suit guy with a big mouth and a cold heart.
{INSERT_RELATED}But prior to Nick's big revelation about his uncle, he is willingly smuggled into a bar, a brothel and a loft party, where he interacts with a variety of women, including a hooker, a lonely, passed-out drunk and the lovely, kind-hearted Jennifer Beals who gives him a souveneir the sixteen-year-old will not soon forget.
"Roger Dodger" is writer/director Dylan Kidd's first film, but nothing about this movie smells like a rookie's endeavor. His dialogue writing abilities are incredible, with every scene filled with multi-layered conversations that are witty, interesting and extremely fast paced. Just about every line out of Scott's smart mouth is worth repeating, including gems like "the clitoris is the most efficient pleasure delivery system" and a final scene that puts a new spin on this sad character study of a wealthy, intelligent and deeply damaged man.
"Roger Dodger" is showing at Landmark's Downer Theatre.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
