With its hip, neon-infused vibe, and faux-cool dialect ("You're so money baby,") Swingers is a movie which celebrates LA, cocktails and male comradery. Written by a then unknown Jon Favreau and directed by Doug Liman (pre-Bourne), Swingers is a tiny indie which possesses a huge heart. While all of the male dynamics in the story have an affecting quality, without question the most bromantic pairing exists between the film's two lead characters: Mike (played by Favreau), and Trent, played by a never better Vince Vaughn. Their relationship forms of the core of Swingers story, which focuses on Trent's attempts to acculturate Mike to LA's club scene, while the latter grieves for a recently failed romantic relationship. Now, despite both of these characters being positioned as protagonists, they both also display abrasive qualities from time to time. Mike is endlessly petulant throughout Swingers, while Trent's rampaging machismo becomes wearisome at certain points. Still, there is an innate likability to these two men, and this is especially true in the way the film depicts their friendship, which is both humorous and compassionate.
Adam Mohrbacher has been afflicted with an obession for film since his earliest memories. In addition to his work with WhatCulture, Adam has been a contributor with Filmophilia.com, FilmMonthly.com and Examiner.com. You can also check out his personal blog here: adammohrbacher@wordpress.com.
A devoted fan of all film genres and styles, Adam gets equally giddy over the sensitive, existential musings of Ingmar Bergman, and the brawny brilliance of Arnold Schwartzenegger. He loves fish tacos and misses the work of Heath Ledger and Jack Lemmon on a daily basis.
