Roger Dodger

We've all met Roger (Scott): the razor-tongued cynic, masking his wounds with loud bravado, wielding his wit and intellect like battering rams.  Roger's a pig, the kind of man who boasts of nightly sexual conquests but is more likely to sit at a bar, fulfilling his wretched opinion of himself by insulting the woman next to him.  It takes a visit from Nick (Eisenberg), his 16-year-old nephew, to make him confront his alcohol-induced delusions.

The script sparkles with wicked one-liners and gives us the benefit of two perspectives: the crotch-level view of men who see women as property, and the exasperation of women who want to be desired without being demeaned.  The heart of the film is a four-way conversation among Roger, Nick and two out-for-fun women (Beals and Berkley) in a bar.

It's Roger's intention to give his nephew a crash course in plundering women, but it's Nick, sweet and virginal, who charms the ladies; we can see the reversal of power coming long before Roger does.

There are scenes in Roger Dodger that will make you laugh out loud and many others that will make you cringe.  There is not a single scene in the film, however, that's not completely engaging; a fantastic conclusion to a great season at WSC.