I've been going back and forth with Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights. When I first caught this movie on the big screen years ago, I was quite impressed. Then I saw it again the other day and I noticed some weak spots - some cracks in an otherwise powerful movie. Now, I'm thinking maybe the weaknesses really aren't fatal and there's a lot of really terrific stuff here. I know, I know, enough waffling.
Should you see "Boogie Nights"? Yes, by all means.
Is it a great film? I don't think so.
Here's why. If you really love movies (as I do) you're always noticing similarities between films. The problem with "Boogie Nights" is that those similarities go far and wide. For one thing, there's too many of them. It's as if Anderson is fishing for a style and borrowing heavily when in doubt. One critic I read - Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader - even went so far as to say that Anderson "plagiarized" a sequence from Martin Scorsese's "Raging Bull". Plagiarism is a serious charge. I don't know that I would go that far, especially when you consider that the "Raging Bull" sequence has its roots in Kazan's "On the Waterfront". It is, however, fairly obvious to me that Anderson is a fan of Scorsese. You see signs of that all over the place. The problem is it doesn't stop there; I can see bits of other filmmakers as well. The question, I guess, is at what point does it go too far?
At least the story is fresh. This, I suspect, is largely out of fear by major studios of tackling the subject matter. For those of you unfamiliar, "Boogie Nights" is a movie about the porn industry. The story traces the rise and fall of Eddie (Mark Wahlberg), a young busboy from the San Fernando Valley who - after an emotional blow-up with his mom - runs away from home to become porn star Dirk Diggler. Adult film director Jack Horner (well played by Burt Reynolds) takes the well-endowed lad under his wing. He becomes a sort of surrogate father and Amber Waves (Julianne Moore) - who shares Horner's house - takes on the mother-figure role.
Other porn performers in the Nashville-like cast include Rollergirl (Heather Graham) who always wears skates - even during sex, Buck (Don Cheadle) who is into the cowboy look and whose day job is selling stereo equipment and Reed (John C. Reilly) who quickly becomes Dirk's buddy.
On the technical end there's the assistant director Little Bill (William H. Macy of "Fargo"), and cinematographer Ricky Jay (who I liked in David Mamet's "Homicide" and "House of Games"). There's also a terrific performance by rising-star Philip Seymour Hoffman as Scotty, a gay assistant/gopher who has a big crush on Dirk, whom he has eyed early on (the music playing in the background during that first encounter: "You Sexy Thing".)
What I really like about "Boogie Nights" (aside from the terrific performances) is the way that Anderson contrasts style and subject. From the opening scene (one long uncut shot that recalls the opening of Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil") the style of the movie is nothing short of exciting and - in itself - is highly entertaining. What we are supposed to get excited about, however, is another story: the characters are mostly a sad, dull, simple-minded group. Anderson looks at these folks with a condescending eye while the visuals remain flashy and compelling. It's as if he's satirizing the entire adult film industry. Anderson never really lets us forget that there's a dark, painful truth beneath the glossy surface.
There's a terrific scene that illustrates this. It takes place at Horner's house, in and around his pool. Everyone's partying, doing cocaine and having fun when the phone rings. It's "some kid looking for his mom." Ouch.
Much like Scorsese, Anderson incorporates a lively soundtrack. I really liked the use of "Joy" by a group known as Apollo 100. This music plays in the scene in Eddie's room, as the camera circles the walls, taking in all the posters. The problem is this scene is obviously taken from "Saturday Night Fever", right down to the same kind of pictures: Farrah Fawcett, Bruce Lee, and Pacino as "Serpico".
Aside from Scorsese, other directors that Anderson may be "borrowing" from (as I see it) include: Paul Schrader ("American Gigolo"), Robert Altman and Quentin Tarantino. (Hey, if he's stealing at least he's picked good sources.) Roger Ebert also notes that one scene where the camera follows someone into the pool is from "I Am Cuba".
Product DetailsOriginal Title:Boogie NightsActors: Burt Reynolds - Heather Graham - John C. Reilly - Julianne MooreCondition: NEWFormat: DVDDirector:...More at iNetVideo.com
From writer/director P.T. Anderson comes the turbulent behind the scenes story of an extended family of filmmakers who set out to revolutionize the ad...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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