Review of Boogie Nights (1997) by Cameron H — 28 Dec 2016

Another one of those films that succeeds in every way a piece of cinema could: unique, compelling voice for the director Paul Thomas Anderson, intense and madly entertaining performances from an all-star cast (many of which were made into stars, thanks to the movie's critical and commercial success), and a story worth all two-and-a-half hours of your time.

Boogie Nights has a suave, sexy presentation of the lives of a pornographic film studio and the business its filmmakers, actors, crew members, and executives indulge in. Hilarity ensues at its most cocaine-induced moments, but most of the time, we see our characters in their most sobering and desperate moments.

And there are far too many spoilers associated with such moments to tell here. P.T. Anderson is the true star, though you may not be able to tell right away. He is superbly crafty in NOT showing us everything -- in the storytelling, what characters are thinking / feeling, cinematography.

This engages the audience in filling in the blanks, which, for all of the horrific events that occur in the movie, was very fun for me. Anderson fills in enough of the blanks to tell a story clear enough for a first-time viewing; this being the second time I have seen this, I am grateful to have discovered new secrets and characteristics of the cast, and I look forward to further discoveries for the next time I see this.

And there will be a next time.