There was a time during the long history of the adult entertainment industry
that porn films showed signs of artistic ambition. During the late '70s, a small
cadre of directors believed that they could combine the raunch of real sex with
an involving plot. It was a lofty goal, and one that ultimately proved
impossible to realize, especially with the advent of video forcing movies to be
made cheaper and faster. In his new film, Boogie Nights, writer/director
Paul Thomas Anderson takes us back to the disco era, and, by following a small
group of characters, recreates the rise and fall of "artistic porn" and those
who participated in it.
But Boogie Nights isn't just an expose of the porn industry -- it's a
provocative and involving character study, as well. While it could be argued
that Anderson has bitten off more than he can chew -- a few too many of the men
and women populating his film are left half-developed -- an overambitious
approach is always preferable to the alternative, and Boogie Nights does
enough things right that it's easy to overlook its few shortcomings.
One of the movie's greatest, and most immediately obvious, assets is its
ability to capture the feel and mood of the late '70s and early '80s. At
different times throughout the film, Anderson uses long, single takes where the
camera pans from one character to another, putting the viewer in the midst of a
swirl of activity. The director also has a talent for picking just the right
songs for each scene, making the soundtrack an integral part of the movie rather
than just a jumbled collection of old disco hits. Add to that the hairdos,
clothing, decor, and attitudes of the era, and you have an effective re-creation
of recent history. And, unlike The Ice
Storm, which transpires in '70s suburbia, Boogie Nights is set in
the sleazy heart of Los Angeles' drug-and-sex industry.
Anderson also does a wonderful job of delineating the differences between the
late '70s and the early '80s. The first half of the film, which takes place
between 1977 and late 1979, is lively and energetic, with the focus on parties
and good times. Then, following a pivotal sequence at a 1979/80 New Year's Eve
gathering, Boogie Nights' tone shifts to something more grim and
contentious. The porn industry goes into a downward spiral with mass-market
video supplanting carefully-made movies, and the actors and directors are sucked
down with it. Drugs and death run rampant. No one dies during the movie's first
half (although there is a drug overdose), but the final hour features a body
count.
At Boogie Nights' center is Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a waiter at a
San Fernando Valley night club who is "discovered" by idealistic porn movie
producer/director Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds). Jack's dream is to make a movie
that is "true, and right, and dramatic," and his vision excites Eddie, who
changes his name to Dirk Diggler and quickly becomes the hottest young stud in
the industry. Together, the director and his star seek to elevate the Adult Film
to the next level (which actually resembles a cheap exploitation action flick).
Dirk isn't the only one under Jack's wing. His home has become the gathering
place for all sorts of damaged souls working in the business. There's Amber
Waves (Julianne Moore), a top female star who has lost custody of her son
because of her involvement with Jack. Rollergirl (Heather Graham) is an
airheaded young starlet who drops out of high school to be in the movies. Buck
Swope (Don Cheadle) is one of Jack's veterans, but his dream is to have a wife,
a family, and his own hi-fi equipment store. Reed Rothchild (John C. Reilly) is
a hanger-on who becomes close friends with Dirk. And Little Bill (William H.
Macy) is a behind-the-scenes worker who never feels comfortable with the kind of
movies that he's involved in. His resolution to this dilemma leads to Boogie
Nights' change of direction.
Although Mark Wahlberg has the starring role, and gives the best performance
of his still-young career (although there are still times when he is stiff), he
is easily overshadowed by two more impressive portrayals. Burt Reynolds, doing
his best motion picture work in recent memory, develops Jack into a
three-dimensional individual who really believes in his job until
disillusionment hits. Matching Reynolds' performance step-by-step is Julianne
Moore, who can add her role in Boogie Nights to an ever-increasing list
of interesting and challenging characters. Meanwhile, Heather Graham, Don
Cheadle, and William H. Macy are impressive in smaller parts (all of them
deserve more screen time). And porn icon Nina Hartley gets some mainstream
exposure, and even a few lines, as Little Bill's wife.
Boogie Nights is filled with so many subplots and secondary themes
that it would be impossible to recount them all here. Some of the most obvious
involve the allure of stardom and the price certain individuals are willing to
pay to attain it, the difficulty of "rehabilitating" one's name after being
associated with something as "damaging" as the porn industry, and the inner need
to belong. All of the men and women populating Boogie Nights encounter at
least one of these elements as they traverse their character arc.
With Boogie Nights, Anderson has realized the potential he showed in
his previous feature, Hard 8
(which featured John C. Reilly and Philip Baker Hall, two members of this
movie's ensemble cast). Boogie Nights is a dramatically rich and visually
arresting motion picture that has earned (and is deserving of) comparisons to
the films of Robert Altman. Anderson takes risks with this movie, few of which
fall short. (One of these is the pointed and sure-to-be controversial final shot
-- a perfectly conceived and framed statement about the de-humanizing effects of
the porn industry.) The result is a memorably penetrating motion picture.
From
movie-reviews.colossus.net
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