Boogie Nights (1997)

reviewed by
Tim Voon


                           BOOGIE NIGHTS 1997
                      A film review by Timothy Voon
                       Copyright 1998 Timothy Voon
               2 :-) :-)  for a study on the sex industry

Let's take a long hard deep look at the porn industry. Far removed from the norm are these gods and goddesses of sex, who use their bodies as tools to arouse the onlooker. They're movies show sirens lost in the addictive sea of lust as they mingle and mix scents and issues. We hear repeated throaty moans as they go over and over and over the mechanics of love making like the pistons of a steam engine. Performing the erotic dance with possessed twist and turns, seemingly lost in a depraved embrace as if they didn't get enough of it. They are seemingly able to reach greater heights of pleasure with each successive multiple orgasm. Yeah, tell me about it!

So who are these titans of sex? A homeless boy (Mark Wahlberg) who didn't get enough love from his mama proves himself to the world by using his greatest asset – a big dick. A forlorn mother (Julianne Moore) caught up with her ‘success' in the sex industry, makes up for her lost child by mothering and f'king the homeless lad. Then there's ‘Rollergirl', a blonde bimbette school dropout well known for giving good mouth, also gets mothered and f'kd. There are others, but in particular the Godfather of this big f'king family, the director of the movies himself (Burt Reynolds).

What makes this movie interesting, is that it shows us what life is like behind these fantastic orgies. The lonely pain, the inner suffering, the craving for love and acceptance, and the profound emptiness within. Add to this poor self-esteem, psychological instability, alcohol and illicit drug dependence and you have perfected an emotional wreck. It shows us how easily young and homeless teens are led into the seemingly ‘glamorous' sex industry, tempted by its easy material gains. This is followed by a vicious cycle of ups and downs caused by an industry that chews up its stars quicker than a mouse can breed. Those who manage to break the chain are the lucky ones, those who don't die young.

The actors who perform this study on the sex industry are marvellous. Mark Wahlberg fills the shoes of the young, naïve boy who is transformed by the sex industry with great sincerity. Julianne Moore shows us with her performance that she has done her study by accurately portraying a slut queen, but it is Burt Reynold's who excels and shines as the business man porno king.

This is a well made, finely crafted, humorous study on the world of pornography and is good resource material for anyone thinking about becoming a counsellor for young people.

Timothy Voon
e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au

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