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Review

Roger Swanson (Scott) is quite a talker. Able to pull anyone into his web with crafty conversation and analysis, people will listen to him spout off about anything. They'll even stick around a bit to let him debase them in public. When Roger (nicknamed "Roger Dodger" for his ability to talk his way out of difficult situations) finds a relationship ending that words can’t save, he reaches his lowest and most vulnerable state. Enter his nephew Nick (Eisenberg) for a surprise visit, seeking girl advice from the uncle he admires. What follows is a whimsical journey through Manhattan hangouts with a newly broken-hearted Roger teaching his nephew the sultry ways of women.

Scott gives the most complex performance of his career and newcomer Eisenberg plays Nick with such natural grace that we feel his adolescent frustrations as if they were our own. A film that is constantly revealing new layers, Roger Dodger peels away the surface of chauvinism to expose the pained feelings beneath. And it does one of the finest jobs of any indie at creating comedy (and redemption) out of chaos.