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Critics Consensus: Grounded in strong characters, bold themes, and subtle storytelling, Boogie Nights is a groundbreaking film both for director P.T. Anderson and star Mark Wahlberg.
Critic Consensus: Grounded in strong characters, bold themes, and subtle storytelling, Boogie Nights is a groundbreaking film both for director P.T. Anderson and star Mark Wahlberg.
All Critics (69) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (64) | Rotten (5) | DVD (13)
The pop 1970s were typified in part by cheesy fashions, ephemeral music and a regular diet of daring, cutting-edge movies that arguably made that decade Hollywood's richest. Blistering Boogie Nights recaptures the spirit of that time on all three counts.
Boogie Nights, an epic tale of porn, pleasure, and excess, offers a purer hit of exhilaration than any movie this year.
Not since the mysteriously reclusive Terrence Malick has there been such an explosion of sheer talent on the American movie scene.
Considering the potentially explosive nature of the yarn, set in the porn world, Anderson's strategy is remarkably nonjudgmental and nonsensationalistic, largely due to his love and respect for all the characters and his impressive storytelling skills.
In terms of sweep, ambition and precocious cinematic competence, it heralds the arrival of a new talent.
With Boogie Nights we know we're not just watching episodes from disparate lives but a panorama of recent social history, rendered in bold, exuberant colors.
It is remarkable that [Seymour Hoffman] was able to stand out-it's packed with great performances from some of the best of the best: Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Heather Graham, and, of course, Burt Reynolds.
The Tarantino comparison is ultimately less about technique than a shared joyful electricity of the filmmaking, the sense of an artist clearly high on the sheer act of making a movie.
Nights humanized these actors and made them live beyond their reputations.
Boogie Nights is an impassioned and creative portrait of American souls in distress from a young, passionate filmmaker who threw himself headlong into his movies (his follow-up, Magnolia, pushes even further).
Unflinching look at porn industry; lots of sex, drugs.
An epic story of self-delusion with a skill and grace that many more experienced filmmakers would be hard put to match.
A well-done "Goodfellas"-esque take on the porn industry during its heyday and a naive young man (Mark Wahlberg) with a special "talent" who goes from waiter to adult film star after being plucked by a wealthy titan (Burt Reynolds) of the business. Not only is this movie a serious, saddening take on those involved in the industry who wreck their lives seemingly without trying, it is also a successful satire whose dark sense of humor is much needed to a film full of such despair, loneliness, and depravity. It does suffer from over-population from a character standpoint (especially William H. Macy in a thankless, pointless role that does not utilize his talents properly), but its ability to possess a certain sweetness is a phenomenal feat for director Paul Thomas Anderson to pull off. It has style, laughs, a riveting lead performance from Wahlberg, some excellent supporting turns, memorable scenes (hello Alfred Molina cameo!), and an ending that doesn't leave you as depressed as many of its characters become. Not a film for everyone, certainly a graphic portrayal of a seedy business, but still a fascinating take on those involved in it.
Super Reviewer
Although a lot of people rate this movie highly as one of a kind, to me it's just a usual movie with a different taste of promising story but turn out just okay.. IMHO, the second half of this movie is quite boring, especially because of slow pace they gave for this movie... The story itself actually pretty good, the rising and downfall of porn star Dirk Diggler, and who knows a lot of the characters in this movie became some big actors until now like Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, or even the unexpected Philip Seymour Hoffman..
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A great film about the emptiness of youth, fun and the fast life. Re-watched it on the night of Hoffman's passing and it's no less remarkable than the times I saw it before.
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