Boogie Nights

An R-rated epic about the porn industry was a pretty goofball idea--what is the NC-17 rating for, if not films like this?! Young writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson's tale of the rise of porn star Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) is--the notorious prosthetic phallus notwithstanding--a disappointingly prudish and moralistic film, particularly in its weaker second half, in which Anderson contrives bleak, nightmarish downfalls for a handful of his protagonists (And don't get me started on how many shots and ideas were lifted directly and brazenly from Martin Scorsese's oeuvre, or we'll be here all week.) Yet, despite these and other flaws, it's a certified must-see--watered-down and derivative, yes, but highly entertaining all the same. Anderson's giddy energy is infectious, and he's assembled a superb ensemble cast; Burt Reynolds may wind up winning the Oscar, but relative unknowns like Wahlberg (the former Marky Mark), John C. Reilly, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Heather Graham are every bit as memorable. Not the Great American Movie that some critics claimed it to be, but still a worthy addition to any collection. Recommended. (M. D'Angelo)