SWINGERS
A film review by Ted Prigge
Copyright 1997 Ted Prigge
Director: Doug Liman Writer: Jon Favreau Starring: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston, Patrick Von Horn, Alex Desert, Brooke Langton, Deena Martin, Katherine Kendall, Heather Graham
Any movie where the characters have their own kind of vernacular amongst them is already a pretty damn cool flick to me. Any movie that not only has this, but has the guts to say Quentin Tarantino rips off Martin Scorsese's has got to get some kind of ultra-cool award (It's true, Quentin does - you know it, I know it, and the American people know it - but the man is still a god).
"Swingers" is perhaps the coolest movie of the year...and it even has a neurotic, insecure protagonist. The guys in this movie are either out-of-work or actors-with-crap-jobs living in L.A, going to parties and those clubs that have no sign and are a bitch to find. During the day, they go to pointless call-backs; at night, they go around town, drinking, dancing, and picking up "digits." Their unofficial leader is the ultra-confident, semi-philisophical Trent (an amazingly great Vince Vaughn, now having the cool pick-up line of "I was in Jurassic Park 2"). But the focus is on the depressed Mike (writer and star, Jon Favreau, also blessed with a new cool pick-up line: "I was on "Friends" for a couple episodes then was taken out with the most bizarre plot twist in recent television history.")
Mike has just...okay, so it was 6 months ago...he broke up with his girlfriend and after half the year, he hasn't gotten over her. He's so depressed, he sits for days against the wall looking at pictures of them and having weird delusions of his answering machine giving him confidence boosts (which begins a cool continuum problem - look for it). In the beginning, Trent calls him up and they impulsively go to Vegas to gamble, but Trent just wants to pick up "babies." Mike is nervous and tells a really hokey joke...then confesses he's actually an out-of-work comedian.
The story focuses mainly on Mike, but the other characters - Rob (Ron Livingston) is his actor friend who just moved out there and is bummed because he's going from doing Hamlet on Broadway to Goofy for Disney; and Sue (Patrick Von Horn), who has a temper and basically sucks at NHL Hockey for the Sega Genesis mainly because they took out the fighting - well, the other characters are presented nicely as well. There is no real plot, unless you call Mike's pilgrimmage from depression to getting back into the scene a plot.
"Swingers" has no real big grandios themes and doesn't offer any real poetic messages; it's just a really fun, clever and intelligent film. While there is some satire from of the out-of-work actor thing and the whole swinging/nightlife scene, the main thing to admire from it is the acting and the great writing by Jon Favreau. He writes beautiful dialogue and clearly-carved characters, especially Trent, who's got to be one of the coolest characters written for the screen since...well, in a while. And who's character, as cool as he is, is presented as the true normal-guy-schmuck that he is in the final scene.
The acting is fantastic from everyone, epsecially Favreau and Vaughn: Favreau shows great comic flair as the neurotic, down-on-his-self-esteem guy; and Vaughn is just, well, "money" (word for cool in their clique). Also standing out is some Melrose Place star (Brooke Langton - what she does on the show, I don't know, I don't watch it and I don't plan to ever) as one of the girls Mike attempts to pick up but lets his confidence and lying get in the way of ever doing well with her.
Because it's so fun to watch and the fact that I laughed hysterically numerous times (and the fact that the published screenplay has a glossary for the terms in the back), I highly reccomend "Swingers" as one of the best films of last year.
MY RATING (out of 5): ****1/2
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