Swingers (1996) Review

 

Swingers (1996)

Set at the height of the swing resurgence in L.A. in the 90s, Swingers follows Mike, a struggling actor who is trying to recover from a past love in a new city, as him and his buddies prowl through the L.A. party circuit.

This movie is interesting in that it has no place to be and nowhere to go, yet here it is and it’s excellent. Here you have a group of friends, all broke after moving from New York to California to make it big, but it’s Mike who just can’t seem to get out of his own way. Every time he tries to move on from his ex girlfriend, he practically commits social suicide, destroying any chance he gets at love, in a place where love is hard to find. And while this is a movie about Mike moving on with his life and being patient, it’s his dynamic with his friends that drives the narrative along. They define who he is, especially for a man who has nothing but is striving for more. Their bond creates a vibe and a language that only they really get, something that is used to excess and is genuinely very funny in it’s timing.

In his first time writing and producing, Jon Favreau stars, alongside him, a young Vince Vaughn and Ron Livingston. Favreau is a steady blend of self conscious, awkward, and unsure of himself, where you obviously root for him to come out on top, something that is parodied within the film. Vaughn on the other hand, is the opposite, portraying Trent as brash, sexist, and deluded, which is a friend dynamic that excels dialogue and relationship wise.

Mike coming to his senses, hanging up on his ex who decided to reappear as he finally moved on, and continuing to talk to Lorraine, a woman he genuinely connected with for the first time in 6 months, it’s a huge step for himself, within a crowd of guys who aren’t seeking love, but the momentary satisfaction life has to offer them. Swingers, at it’s core, is a film about people, men specifically, having to realise that without them, without friends, without loved ones, and each other, all you have to get you through the worst parts of life is time. And time on your own stretches on forever.

8.6/10