Prior to this, I was already a big fan of Paul Thomas Anderson's three big releases - Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood - which surprisingly, were all released theatrically here in the Philippines. Except for Boogie Nights of course! The prudes in our MTCRB will cringe when they read the synopsis of this film!
Well, there are many things to like about this movie, but I have trimmed them down to just five.
# 1 The fantastic ensemble cast! I know that when this film was released, most of these guys and gals were not yet A-listers or Oscar nominees - but after this film was released, most of them went on to score Oscar nominations in the other films that they did and they became big stars themselves! They worked cohesively as a unit in this movie!
#2 This is a real "family" movie! Seriously!! I see it that way though! With Burts Reynolds as some sort of patriarch - he steers and controls his "porno" family to the best of time and through the worst of times. There's even a scene here which predates the "reality TV' which is so predominant now.
#3 The authentic 70s and 80s vibe permeates everything! The music, the costumes, the set design - everything just takes you back to that era! Thoroughly enjoyable to watch.
#4 Interestingly, there are no jarring porn scenes. Yes, there's nudity and 'fucking' scenes but they do not distract from telling the story. The director just shows it as it is - devoid of any passion - it looks quite mechanical even - which is real porn. It's the size that matters!
#5 Every character in this movie experiences an emotional arch - a price they have to pay for well, being bad - if we want to be moralistic about it. I guess for these people, 'fucking' is just work.
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