Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Running Time: 2:29
I understand why critics like this movie so much. Boogie
Nights is all about the porn industry in the 1970's and early 80's.
That's not why critics like it (well, maybe for some of them it is). It's
more because the story essentially follows a few characters, and their
rise to the top, and for some, hitting rock bottom. The cast includes Mark
Wahlberg as Dirk Diggler, Julianne Moore as Amber Waves, and Burt Reynolds
and Jack Horner (if nothing else, the names are certainly inventive). Horner
finds Diggler washing dishes in a club, and after seeing Diggler's ample
penis, asks him if he wants to make movies. You see Horner is a very famous
adult film producer and Diggler has all the right parts in all the right
sizes. The movie follows Diggler as he rises to the top of the adult film
industry (including winning three adult film awards his first time out),
and then his subsequent crash and burn as drugs, as well as his ego, take
over his life. A lot of people say that the movie is very true to it's
times, showing the 70's and early 80's the way it really was in L.A. at
that time.
Unfortunately for me, I was a little to young to know what was going
on at that time. The story was done very well, and the acting is very strong,
but when I go to the movies, I go to be entertained. And while I was entertained
through the first half of the film (the rising part), I got somewhat bored
during the crash and burn part. The one thing that kept going through my
mind seeing everybody snorting coke all the time was GoodFellas.
When the people in GoodFellas starting going
over the edge, the direction of Scorsese kept it interesting. Here, it
feels like Anderson is trying too hard to be Scorsese, and it just felt
a little empty to me. However, the movie picks up again when Dirk and a
couple other guys try to rob a rich guy at his home. The sex scenes were
realistic (not that I have any idea what a porn film looks like), and for
the guys, the leading ladies get naked, and for the girls, at one point
in the film you get to see why everyone is making a fuss over Dirk. Overall
I'd say it was an enjoyable film, but when you leave the theater, you may
be wondering why. Oh yes, and I loved the dance scene.
