Review of Boogie Nights (1997) by Melvin W — 09 Sep 2011

Jack Horner: I got a feeling that behind those jeans is something wonderful just waiting to get out. .

"Everyone has one special thing".

Paul Thomas Anderson's second film, Boogie Nights, is what put him on the map . It's appeal is hard to describe. It's story is about a teenager who meets a porn director and soon finds himself wrapped up in the porn business. Sounds cheap and trashy, but in reality it isn't. It's a fantastic movie that shows of the talent of Anderson more than any movie he has ever done. This may not be my favorite movie Anderson has done, but it definitely is my most appreciated. .

The cast here is no less than amazing. The names are endless and they all give special performances. Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore give the best performances I have ever seen from them. Then there is a supporting cast that includes Philip Baker Hall, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Heather Graham and Luis Guzman. Casts just don't come much better or bigger than that. They all work so well with a tough topic and are all very believable in a film that could have easily came off as overly silly.

The story will obviously turn a lot of people off and has caused a lot of people to not even give it a chance. It's a lot deeper and more emotional than the topic of pornography would lead us to believe. It's one of those movies that isn't really about what the characters are doing, but more about what they are feeling. Boogie Nights is a movie of epic proportions.