"Swingers" is a movie about friendship, love, but most importantly, about L.A. style. The whole movie oozes with a hipster trendiness no other city could produce. From the retro-hip soundtrack to the visual flair of the opening credits, "Swingers" delivers the goods, allowing the audience a peek into the ultra-cool yet somewhat absurd world of the twenty-something struggling actor.
The ultimate representation of this world is Trent (Vince Vaughn). Trent is the guy all guys wish they could be (at least in part). Smooth-talking and good-looking, Trent is the prototypical Hollywood stud.
He is so cool, he speaks a different language from you and me, one filled with "beautiful babies" and people who are "money." By now most of Trent's best slang has been assimilated by the average kid, but still, no one does it like him.
Trent's opposite is his best friend Mike (Jon Favreau). Mike is such a loser that it is painful to watch. Mike has moved out to L.A., but he cannot throw himself into the city or its insanely complicated dating scene, no matter how hard his friends try to make him.
He pines for his old girlfriend and screws up countless attempts with the ladies. Trent will not give up on him, though, and with the help of their other boys, Trent is determined to make Mike realize that he is indeed "so money [he] doesn't even know it."
The characters' trials and tribulations with the opposite sex take place against a background of high-class parties, trendy bars and nightspots, each with their own arcane set of rules. Parties that start at 8 p.m. can never be reached until midnight and the bars are hidden in alleys without signs "so when you say you've been to a place, you're, like, cool cause you know where it is." Girls cannot be called for at least two days after getting their number. "Two days is practically the industry standard," says one of the guys. It is all part of their L.A. world.
"Swingers" is also a movie about the movies. The actors struggle for parts, and discuss their favorite shots and auteurs. Ironically, "Swingers" is a movie made by a couple guys on a shoestring budget. It is a movie made by a few little-known actors who love movies about a few unknown actors who love movies.
Director Roger Liman films this independent movie with quality that suggests a far larger budget. He pays homage to some of his heroes, including Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese, precisely imitating some of their favorite shots, adding to the self-aware hipness of the film.
This is a cool movie that knows exactly how cool it is, and it's not afraid to show it off every once in a while.
What can I say? Get out there and see this movie. Guys, grab your boys and head on over. You'll see some similarities between your crew and the "Swingers" guys. You'll see shades of yourself in both Mike and Trent. Every guy who has been in the game has been like one or the other at some point.
Nowhere are these two sides illustrated better than in "Swingers." And who knows, maybe you will even learn some better lines!
Ladies, go to laugh at the amount of time and thought and work men really devote to you. It will surprise you.
But most of all, everybody should go for the slick, hip and trendy look at L.A. life that "Swingers" presents. It will keep you laughing from the opening until you're walking on back to campus.
