Movie/DVD Review: Boogie Nights (1998 release)

 

Boogie Nights is a 1997 film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It stars Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Morre, Burt Reynolds, Heather Graham, Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Alfred Molina, and real-life porn actress Nina Hartley also have smaller roles in the movie. It is loosely based on the life of the late porn actor John Holmes who was huge (in more ways than one) back in the 1970s and early 1980s. The movie is fictional, but exposes both the glamourous and dark side of the porn industry, especially back then. And, of course, the film was notable for resurrecting the aging Burt Reynolds' career. 

Wahlberg stars as Dirk Diggler, a guy who gets into porn basically because of having a huge dick which is mentioned many times during the movie but, because this was still a mainstream movie, is not shown until the very end when Wahlberg sports a prosthetic. He skyrockets to fame in the porn industry, but as many porn actors and actresses have done, got into drugs and alcohol, which detailed his career and almost takes his life. So, the movie is really about his rise to fame, his downfall, and, toward the end of the movie, his comeback story. 

The movie is extremely well-written and acted. Of course, because it is about the porn industry, there is a lot of nudity, mainly from Moore and Graham, who famously, as Rollergirl, was fully nude (aside from a pair of skates) in Dirk's audition. Nina Hartley is also nude a lot as the wife of one of the crew members and has sex with everyone but him. There is also an element of the struggle of adult performers to leave the business and try to lead normal lives once they age out or don't want to do it anymore. 

For those who get the DVD, the extras include deleted scenes (about 23 minutes worth), a commentary track on the film from Paul Thomas Anderson, a music video, cast biographies, and fictional biographies for the characters in the movie. The movie has been released a couple of times on DVD and has a blu-ray release with more extras than what are on this one, but even so, this is a decent amount for those who like watching the bonus material.

Overall, the movie is very good. It was nominated for many awards, and the nominations were well-deserved. Of course, you have to be comfortable with the subject matter, a lot of nudity, as well as violence and swearing. So, if that turns you off to a movie, then this is not for you. But if you are looking for a well-acted drama and don't mind some dark subject matter, this is worth checking out.