Swingers
USA | 1996 | Directed by Doug Liman
Logline: An aspiring NYC comedian based in LA, pining for his ex-girlfriend, struggles to get back into the dating scene with the help of his buddy, a cocky ladies man.
With a killer script by co-producer and star Jon Favreau Swingers is the ultimate debunking of male bravado and dating swagger that bristles with hilarious dialogue, crackles with spot on comedic characterisation and pitch-perfect comic timing. Written as a vehicle of Favreau who plays mournful Mike, it turned out to be the springboard for director Liman, who also acted as cinematographer, and to co-star Vince Vaughn (looking very money, before the perpetual bags under his eyes) who plays the scene-stealing Trent. Notable support from the fellow swingers Ron Livingstone as Mike’s East Coast pal Rob, Patrick Van Horn as Sue and Alex Desert as Charles (“It’s dead here anyway”), and then, of course, there’s Heather Graham as Lorraine.
Swingers is fantastic low-budget filmmaking that makes excellent use of locations (all of the bar and nightclub scenes were shot on location amongst real patrons), including the Dresden featuring Marty & Elayne singing Staying Alive (has to been heard to be believed), and the Derby featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy singing You & Me & Baby Makes Three. The early scenes at Las Vegas (“Vegas, baby, Vegas!”) are very funny as Trent tries in vain to get Mike laid (“Dude, you are so money and you don’t even know it”).
But let’s face it, there’s not a single scene wasted in this movie; it’s a lean, mean swingin’ machine, and is guaranteed to make you laugh. One can argue it’s a very guy kinda movie, which it is, but it’s also a great date flick, as women get an insight into the pretence and insecurities young men swamp themselves in when it comes to pursuing women; the cute babies who wanna party.
There’s poignancy, albeit very subtle, and there’s contrast too; Trent makes that very clear at move’s end, drunk and pathetic mostly, but an asshole. The soundtrack fits perfectly, mostly retro swing jazz, but Average White Band’s Pick Up the Pieces makes a nicely timed brassy funk appearance when the boys attend a party full of models in the Hollywood Hills. Mike’s New York ex, Michelle, calls him and Lorraine calls at the same time. Mike has reached a critical moment and makes a decision. A little later Mike is with Trent at a café with a smile on his face, the opposite of how the movie started with Mike moaning to Rob in a diner.
But the movie isn’t just an autobiographical account of Jon Favreau’s romantic endeavours, it’s also a love affair with a few certain macho flicks – and there are several scenes that reference other movies, most notably the Reservoir Dogs gangster stroll (there’s a poster of the movie in Sue’s apartment) and Goodfellas. Mike even states that Tarantino has been stealing from Scorsese from the get-go. Later Liman stages an entrance into a club that takes the characters through the back door, and through the kitchen just like the one in Goodfellas. There’s a direct reference to Frank Sinatra in that Mike, Trent, Rob, Sue and Charles represent the five Rat Pack members, Hollywood swingin’ royalty.
Swingers is not about wife-swapping, this is swinging in the original sense of the word; living for the moment with a cocktail in one hand, silver cufflinks in your jacket pocket, a money clip in your back pocket, and a jazz spring in your step. So many great scenes, it’s one of my comic cine essentials. So c’mon, loosen your tie, and jump along for the ride, it’s very funny money baby.
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