Swingers
ITV, photos: MIRAMAX INTERNATIONAL
Swingers, USA, 1996
Dir: Doug Liman
Writer: Jon Favreau
Cast: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston, Patrick Van Horn, Alex Desert
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Jon Favreau's script casts him as Mike, a would-be stand-up comic actor from New York who moves to Los Angeles for his big break, but instead hangs out with a similar bunch of guys, all of whom are also just about to make it big (when one is offered a job as Goofy in Disneyland, his friend observes "Hey, at least it's Disney").
As well as hanging out and talking about work, the gang also spend most of their time thinking about, talking about and chasing girls, unfortunately to little avail. Favreau is particularly handicapped because he can't talk for two minutes without starting on about the girl he left behind and still loves. Eventually, Trent (Vince Vaughn) drags him off to Vegas where they can't fail to score. But when they do, Mike can't keep off the subject, but eventually he does meet someone special (Helen Graham) with whom the chemistry is right and romance enters his life again.
First time director Doug Liman directs with a sure but light touch, letting the seemingly unconnected episodes at parties, bars and clubs speak for themselves with humour and detail that build into a bigger picture of the characters and the plot. Favreau's script comes fresh from the LA coffee bars and bars, where the guys' shyness, bluster, supposed experience and distinct lack of it all combine naturally and the whole is a sweet, funny, confident and above all very human movie. And it's worth watching for the homage to Scorsese's camerawork (the guys walk into a club through the kitchen) and Tarantino with the Reservoir Dogs "strut".
