Boogie Nights (1997)

Boogie Nights

Man, I don’t even know where to start. I’m left speechless. There’s films that are made better, but it’s still to the extent that I don’t know where to begin. My mind is buzzing. I guess for starters, it’s just a huge step up from PTA’s first film ‘Hard Eight’, and ‘Hard Eight’ is really good. Of course, I still have to watch the rest of his stuff, so I’m still not super familiar with his style. But from what I can tell so far, this right here is where he’s really figuring out what his technique is. Both direction and writing. It’s such a great screenplay, with easy but deep dialogue, and constantly something to look at and pay attention to. The setting felt a little cliche at first, just because there’s so many films set in the 70s with a classic but overused retro look. However, this firmly cements itself as one of the best films set in that time period. The costumes are natural, the cars are authentic, and the whole atmosphere was just….there. The plot centers around the p*rnography industry and a young man’s rise and fall from frame. This honestly almost felt like a biopic, that’s how convinced I was by the writing and acting. The Oscar nominations for Reynolds and Moore were well deserved, and the entire cast was so solid. You have the main roles from Wahlberg and Reynolds, but look past them, and it’s a great supporting crew consisting of John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alfred Molina, and more. So stacked, and everyone was so meaningful. The soundtrack was absolutely one of the best I’ve ever heard, with some classic hits like ‘Sister Christian’, ‘Best of My Love’, and a fantastic ending of ‘God Only Knows’, the most beautiful song ever written. Lastly, the visuals were gorgeous, with a smart use of color and vibrancy to portray the moods of each character. Overall, this is one of the best films of the 90s, and like I said, one of the best films set in the 70s, if not the best. I would recommend it to all drama/comedy fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!