Review of Roger Dodger (2002) by Jt B — 23 Apr 2007

On the surface, Roger Dodger is about a frustrated womanizer taking his nephew out to teach him how to seduce women and get laid. Roger's apparently a ladies man, but he's having a really bad day; and he proceeds to take out his frustrations by acting like a true asshole to all the women around him. Roger Dodger is Dylan Kidd's directorial/writing debut and the dialogue in this movie is so good, it's almost like a documentary in quality.

Most people I know who have already seen this movie seem to focus entirely on Roger, the character of the title, and judge the movie based entirely around him. I can understand that since he's the main character and all, but I don't share that view. Instead, I focused on his nephew Nick, whom I believe most of the movie's underlying messages are defined through. To me, Roger was just an eluding liar who is full of shit.

There were a few very powerful messages I gained out of watching this film for the first time, and they've been very personal for me. They include enjoying the feeling of the moment, being absolutely genuine, and remembering to look beyond a woman's looks to admire the true person inside. These are qualities I strive for, even though I find myself failing them many times over, but I still think of them all the time. I never expected to find such tenderness in a movie with a sleazy premise like this one.