From the far reaches of the Milky Way Galaxy, It's Retro Nerd Girl with a quick spoiler free film review for you.
Today I'll be reviewing the movie Boogie Nights released in 1997.
Starring:
Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, Burt Reynolds
Directed by:
Paul Thomas Anderson
Genre:
Drama
Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Rating:
R
Budget:
$15,000,000 (estimated)
Current IMDb Rating When Reviewed:
7.9
The Synopsis is:
This tells a cautionary tale of an adult movie team of filmmakers and stars in the 1970’s.
It’s a unique story for a film, so right away I enjoyed that. The story purposely lacks focus as we are presented so many revolving stories instead of following one journey which is what most of us are used to from a storytelling point of view.
It sets up the premise, but does not follow through with a solution for the story. As far as we know the story is still continuing right now.
It feels a lot like a documentary but shot in a way that you can imagine what it is like to actually be there in person and that is a fantastic feat in itself.
Much of the film is told visually as well. There is some compelling dialogue, but the visuals pay great attention to detail in selling you the idea that you have been transported to the late 1970’s which I enjoyed.
The 1970’s and 1980’s details in the film such as the perfect choice of music, incredibly detailed set designs, coiffed hair of the time, makeup and costuming were incredibly authentic in the most subtitle of ways.
The main character could be considered Eddie Adams the teen aged boy with lofty dreams who transforms rather easily into the adult star Dirk Diggler. Eddie isn’t especially likable because he is not exactly a smart character, but he seizes his opportunity to shine because he cannot see a higher design for his life.
In many scenes I just end up laughing hysterically at his character because he’s such a dreamer, he has no patience to actually learn skills or anything about reality.
Eddie is recruited by Jack Horner who is an adult movie director seeking to put together his new team of stars for his movies. This segment had a sense of whimsy to it and had me smiling quite a bit. Jack is trying to make movies that actually have substance and as a team, Eddie actually helps him achieve that. Eddie finds his groove in this sort of fraternity.
The third most important character in the film Amber Waves who also part of Jack’s cast. She acts as a sort of the den mother looking after Eddie and young proteges in the business. She is dramatically dealing with trying to get her child back, but her occupation, prior arrests and drug abuse are preventing that. Through her story and emotional notes, you really feel the humanity in the film. But then it’s dropped cold. It’s almost as if the film is saying to us, “That’s life. Deal with it. Next!”
I could go into every character’s issues in the story and none of it is resolved or mentioned again for instance, Eddie has trouble with his parents in the beginning of the film and then they just disappear.
A girl overdoses on drugs and she disappears. There is a scene with a weird drug deal gone bad and nothing is made of that… we move on to the next scene.
I especially loved the camera movements in this film, especially the way it lingered on character’s expressions and captured interesting moments.
To be honest, I wish the film had more of a focus on the main three characters instead of an ensemble. However all of the performances of this ensemble were wonderful! What an incredible cast. Burt Reynolds was amazing portraying a character that would have otherwise been considered sleazy, but plays him with compassion and grace. He also didn’t play Jack, loud and big, but a bit understated, and steals every scene he’s in. It was so good, he was nominated for an Oscar for this role.
Mark Wahlberg was exceptional as Eddie because there was something really innocent about his delivery of the character who goes through a rise, fall and rebirth.
Everyone was amazing as we have so many incredible actors in this, Luis Guzmán, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Don Cheadle, Heather Graham, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman as well as featuring many real life adult stars.
It’s really sad how many mainstream actors in this film became ashamed of the film due to the morality of the subject matter. And in a real way I can understand why. Maybe that is the deeper connotation and shame about adult film industry performers, filmmakers and possibly even some B movie makers and actors. They keep getting the message that they are doing something wrong and it drives them further into the underbelly of society.
The film does seem glamorize the adult film industry in the very beginning through the eyes of Eddie, beguiled by a chance to make something of his life. But the last half of the film is a cautionary tale of how hard it is to survive in that difficult institution. As a business that dances on the outskirts of mainstream Hollywood, many of the characters get into the ease of taking drugs in order to perform.
The film gets seedy and then awfully dark out of nowhere especially in the last third and I felt it should have been spread out more and that's where the realism didn’t seem to fit in this world for me that was created.
This movie is over 2 hours long and it feels long so you experience a bit of fatigue by the end. You go through all of the emotions of laughter, remorse, disdain, terror, and endearment.
It’s not my favorite film, but I definitely still appreciate this cinematic masterpiece in the way that the visual story was handled. In the mix of it, it’s a touching story about characters coming together as a family with Jack being the father figure and Amber Waves being the mother figure to this strange misfit group of outcasts. It definitely worth watching at least once.
My Rating:
7.3
That sums up my quick spoiler free review. This is Retro Nerd Girl signing off! Take care movie lovers! I'm off to the next review!
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