Boogie Nights 1997
I remember this movie getting some acclaim when it came out. When Philip Seymour Hoffman died recently, a few writers mentioned his role in Boogie Nights as an example of his considerable acting abilities. I didn’t even realize Hoffman was in the movie. I didn’t realize a lot of the people that are in this movie are in it. The cast is really pretty amazing with not just Mark Wahlberg, but Burt Reynolds in a big role, Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilley, Luis Guzman, William H. Macy, and Heather Graham. That’s a lot of talent, all being directed by acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson (maybe not as acclaimed then as he is now). Also the screenplay was nominated for an Oscar, which is usually a great sign (Reynolds and Moore were also nominated for supporting actors). Do the math any way you want and this should be a great movie.
Unfortunately, I found very little to like. The movie spans the late 70’s and early 80’s as the porn industry transitions from film to video, becoming less of a stag film industry and more mainstream, while also dealing with some huge problems like rampant cocaine use, and while it isn’t really touched on, AIDS. They get all the 70’s elements right, and the soundtrack is actually quite good, but the whole movie is more of a character study with very little plot to speak of. The story is the rise and fall of a young porn star, played by Wahlberg, and I mean that’s about it. Even some of the things regarding his fall seem forced just so there will be some kind of plot. It seems like the actors are having a lot of fun with the characters and the director is letting them go, but I have never been a fan of just letting actors riff like that. The end result is a movie that drags on far longer than it needed to. It feels a lot like a Robert Altman film, and I mean that in the worst way possible. Even Philip Seymour Hoffman’s role seems more of a caricature than a person, with one intense scene where he overacts, while the rest of his portrayal is pretty much just silly.
This movie has been out for quite a while by the time I got around to watching it in 2014, so maybe it hasn’t aged well. But I can’t give it more than C-.
Written: 12 Feb 2014