Swingers (96)

11/11/96 & 11/29/96

Fantastic. I read somewhere that this may be a west coast version of 'Diner'. All I know is that I laughed my ass off and continually smile when I remember certain lines. Favreau is Mike, an East Coast transplant, who is just getting out of a six year relationship. He's having trouble adjusting to singleness, and that's where his friends come in. They take him to Vegas and parties, and bars, and dancing, all in the name of getting him a date. What sets this apart from other funny films is its intelligence, and genuine goodness. These guys really are friends of each other. Although they find themselves in funny situations, and they cut each other down, deep inside each of them is a fondness for the others. When these guys sit around and talk, it's like they were just talking. The lines came out so easily, that it didn't even seem like a movie, more like a home video. There is also an inherent love of movies that underscores everything. These guys are all 'looking-for-work' actors. They discuss the merits of different filmmakers and argue over the better scene between Scorsese's steadycam shot into the Copa through the basement in 'Goodfellas', or Tarentino's slow motion walk in 'Reservoir Dogs'. One character says that all movies steal from those that came before. The very next scene is a take-off on Tarentino's with Scorsese's to follow. An incredibly funny scene involving a date's phone number and an answering machine is also a highlight. So far this year, it's this movie and "Fargo". The second viewing was nearly as good. I found myself laughing before the funny lines, much to the dismay of fellow theater-goers.
John Favreau Vince Vaughn Ron Livingston Patrick Van Horn Alex Desert Heather Graham Directed by Doug Liman
40 critics 7.6 Ebert *** Klein ***

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