Superb Scenes With Seanc

Thanks for sharing. Waking Life is in my netflix que, hoping to fire it up tomorrow. Have not seen it yet.

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Letterboxd

Great review, Sean; I'm looking forward to this. It sounds like a very special movie.

1997

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds, John C Reilly, Julianne Moore

"You're not the boss of me, Jack. You're not the king of Dirk. I'm the boss of me. I'm the king of me. I'm Dirk Diggler. I'm the star. It's my big dick and I say when we roll."

"What can you expect when you're on top? You know? It's like Napoleon. When he was the king, you know, people were just constantly trying to conquer him, you know, in the Roman Empire. So, it's history repeating itself all over again."

"Wait a minute. You come into my house, my party, to tell me about the future? That the future is tape, videotape, and not film? That it's amateurs and not professionals? I'm a filmmaker, which is why I will *never* make a movie on tape."

Boogie Nights was my second PTA film. I am ashamed to say I watched this and There Will Be Blood before even knowing who PTA even was. I liked it a whole lot, but I wouldn't call it love. What I did love the first time and was only enhanced on this viewing was the scope of the film. I love an ensemble film done well and PTA is probably the best in the business right now. The way he just drops you into the world he creates is mesmerizing. The way he moves his camera and the music choices he makes give you an immediate sense of time and place. I felt drawn into this movie from the first scene. I wanted to get to know these characters and this world. Maybe why I didn't fall head over heels in love with this movie the first time I saw it, and probably why it took me so long to see it in the first place, is because of my feelings about pornography. Of the many things I would change about our culture, the general feeling about pornography is one of them. Without making this a moralizing rant I will just say that I think it is an industry that dehumanizes those that participate in the making or viewing of these films. It preys on the broken giving them a misplaced sense of self-worth. The reason I bring my personal feelings into this is because I think PTA does a great job of showing this in his characters without ever condemning or judging them. What makes this even more interesting is hearing PTA's personal views on pornography and knowing that our opinions on the industry are polar opposites. Is this me bringing my personal baggage to the art? Or does PTA see what I see but thinks to condemn is to judge? I know what the characters in Boogie Nights are telling me but what are they telling you? I think it is an interesting question to bring into the viewing of the film.

At first we are only given a small glimpse into the brokenness of three characters. We see our main character, Dirk Diggler (Wahlberg), in his home life. There is nothing particularly abnormal about it. He has an over bearing mother and a father who seems to be distant. Of course there may be more to it than that but this is what we are given. It is obvious that Dirk feels very repressed by this environment and wants to break free. He is not well educated and is trying to get by on minimum wage jobs. Jack Horner (Reynolds) offers him an opportunity to be in show business, to become a star. Amber Waves (Moore) is already immersed in this world but we get some insight into her brokenness as well. She has a son who she is not allowed to see. Her escape seems to be drugs. We see her snorting Cocaine immediately after getting off the phone with her ex-husband. Characters like this is where PTA's deft hand works so well. What came first the chicken or the egg? Is Amber broken because of the loss of her son? Or did she lose her son because of her vices? We get another small glimpse into this later, in what is one of the best scenes in the movie in my opinion. It appears to be the latter, but the question remains as to why she turned to this lifestyle in the first place. The third character we see in a broken state at the start is Rollergirl (Graham). This may be the saddest character of all because we see her in a High School setting, implying that she is not even of age yet to make this sort of decision for her life. She is seen taking a test but appearing to have no clue how to even begin to answer these questions. A boy towards the front of the class begins to tease her in a sexual manner. Again deft character development from PTA. This lets us know that this character already is known for the lifestyle she has chosen. This world is not new to her. She takes the abuse for a moment but quickly leaves the classroom. Again we will get a call back to this much later in the movie that makes us realize this character wanted something different for her life. Finishing school and having other possibilities open to her was a real desire, but something she couldn't get a grasp on at this point in her life. There are other small things that give us glimpses into the type of people who choose this vocation. When Dirk first meets Jack he asks him if he wants to see him masturbate for $10, letting us know this character is already involved it what many would consider sexually deviant behavior. When Dirk meets Reed Rothchild (Reilly), who is already immersed in this world, the first question Reed asks is, “did Jack find you on the street?”. Again this heavily implies that Reed was probably found on the streets, but that is never a certainty. So we are given our archetypes by PTA, it is up to the viewer to make the decision for themselves about what this says about the characters and this world.

After this brief introduction into the brokenness of some of these characters, PTA immerses us into this lifestyle for a long period of time without ever coming up for air in the “real world”. The reason this is significant is just like the characters we forget that this lifestyle is abnormal for most. Things are going well with Jack and Dirk's movies, so our cast is living it up as one big happy family. The homes and cars are extravagant. The drugs and alcohol abuse have no significant consequences. Dirk is winning awards and he is loved by everyone. I can't stress enough how great PTA's writing and pacing are. I truly got so lost in this environment that when the conflict comes I forgot how these people are viewed by the rest of society. They even come to the point where they begin to think they are making “legitimate” movies. Jack, Dirk, and Reed come up with a reoccurring character in the vein of James Bond. The conflict comes, and it homes hard. A new character is introduced and he is viewed by Dirk as a threat to his stardom, probably rightfully so. Dirk storms out of Jack's life not realizing what the repercussions of that decision will be. Money almost immediately becomes an issue. This leads to Dirk and Reed to become involved in situations that they are ill equipped to handle. It also leads to two of the funnier scenes in the movie, and two of the sadder scenes. Dirk and Reed trying their hand at being musicians is absolutely priceless. They are horrible but have no idea. It is emblematic of their relationship throughout. From the moment they meet they are kindred spirits. They have a child like quality that makes them different than those around them. Their first interaction is trying to one up each other about how much weight they can lift. After that while the “adults” are partying all around them, they decide to have a contest, seeing who can do the coolest dives off the diving board. There is a wide eyed innocence to them that doesn't fit in the seedy world they are in. It endears us to them, and makes there characters very fun to watch on screen. It also makes a scene where Dirk has decided to masturbate for money, once again, very heart breaking. We have grown to care about this character, even those of us who do not condone his lifestyle can not help but want Dirk to have some form of success and happiness. When he gets beat it is a cruel reminder to him and the viewer of how these characters are perceived by the world.

I will not go into detail about what happens to many of the other characters in the final third of this film. We see the same '”real world” lessons for Amber, Rollergirl, and Buck (Cheadale). Each are looking for something else in their life but have a hard time grabbing a hold of anything permanent because of the lifestyle decisions they have made. We also get a glimpse into the hypocrisy of those who condemn the lifestyle. This is a point that should not be missed. These characters are treated as less than by those from the outside looking in. These people are not without their vices and choices however. PTA has such a firm grasp on the psyche of the pornography industry. Both those in it and those outside of it. It really is astounding how much care and insight went into this story and each character. I have not even mentioned characters played by Macy, Hoffman, and Guzman. Each has smaller but significant arcs. Two industry titans played by Phillip Baker Hall and Robert Ridgely also have roles that give us a glimpse into an even more reprehensible side of the porn business, child pornography. Even this is a line that PTA chooses to blurr, however. We meet Rollergirl and Dirk both when they are only on the cusp of becoming adults. So how does that make Jack any different? Pages could be written about no less than a dozen of the characters in Boogie Nights. The themes are so complex, the characters so rich.

I am not afraid to admit that even at a initial rating, I severely under rated Boogie Nights. This is not a topic I am still completely comfortable with so I don't think it will be a movie I return to on a yearly basis. I do however love the care that PTA gave to this film. I think the character building and camera work are astounding. The set pieces and music choices are perfect throughout. It is obvious that this is a film that PTA gave amazing care to. I hate the word masterpiece and am trying to never use it again. If it ever fits though, it fits here.

In my top 5 so I'm glad to see you love it too

Btw, the drug dealer in the movie was based on real life gangster Eddie Nash. He was involved in the infamous Wonderland murders with porn star John Holmes. I find it to be a pretty fascinating story. This is the story of the movie Wonderland, which is also a favorite of mine.

Boogie Nights would probably make my top 25 favorite films, yet it's not even my favorite from PTA (that would be There Will Be Blood).

Good review, but don't be hatin' on pornography.

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1972
Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Cast: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duval, Diane Keaton

" I made him an offer he couldn't refuse."

"Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes."

"This one time I'll let you ask me about my affairs."

"All those politicians you carry in your pocket like so many nickels and dimes."

This is only my third complete, start to finish, viewing of The Godfather. This is one of those films that you feel like you have seen a hundred times even when you have not. It is such a part of the consciousness of our culture I felt like I saw it even before I did. Needless to say I responded to it immediately and have considered it one of my favorites since my first viewing about fifteen years ago. Everything about The Godfather is cinematic. The opening wedding scene, Michael in Italy, and the Corleone's home, everything is big and beautiful and shot perfectly. Considering it is a gangster film I also appreciate how quiet this film is. Where something like Goodfellas is all energy and brashness, The Godfather is contemplative. It allows its story and characters to breathe. For me that makes the film refreshing and gives it an organic feeling.

The story arc is simple and familiar. Most of us probably knew of Michael's journey before even viewing the film. No matter, what makes this film immersive and gives it its weight is the characters. Each one is drawn and acted brilliantly. It seems as though Puzo and Coppola care as much for their secondary characters as they do the main players. None feel as though they are expendable. Each and every one feels as though they are an important part of this world and because of this what happens to them is important to the viewer. Very few films have had so many moving parts and handled them so deftly.

The Godfather introduced, or in some cases reintroduced, me to so many actors. Duval, Pacino, and Keaton are all actors that I had seen before this and enjoyed but their performances are so unique here that they are almost unrecognizable as the actors I had watched before. Brando is perfect of course. His final scene with Michael is brilliant and mesmerizing. The way he drifts from talking about family to business and back again as a man at the end of life hanging on to what is important while still struggling with the things that he let consume his existence. I love this scene and have loved Brando from the first time I saw it. Caan is great as Sonny as well. I struggle to think of another Caan performance that I really like but always talk about him as a great actor and I think it is due solely to how much I love his portrayal as Sonny.

My favorite scene in The Godfather is Connie's wedding. It is long and beautiful and provides us so much of the exposition that propels not only this film but the next two as well. It sets up Vito as a man of character, even if his character does not jive with our moral compass. It sets up Sonny as the arrogant hot head. It sets up Tom as the brains and even hand. It shows us that Fredo is a character who is dismissed easily because of his lack of brains and gumption. Most of all it gives us insight into Michael and Kate's relationship and starts us on their important journey. Michael being honest about his family's business while at the same time explaining to Kate that he has chosen a different path is one of the great moments in this film. It is even more poignant I think when you are already aware of what path he is headed down. Once again the secondary characters do so much to set the tone of the scene. The funeral director with the plea for his daughter. The boss who has a reporter frisked and his film destroyed. The tongue tied made guy nervous to see the Godfather. Perfect scene and a perfect beginning to a perfect film.

In case I have been mincing words I will end by saying I love everything about this film. I don't think there has been a movie more made for the cinematic experience. If The Godfather is ever anything more than a perfect film to me something about the way I view film will have to change drastically.

I was hoping something else would win the 70's Countdown, just because The Godfather seemed like such a predictable victor, but now that we're down to only two films, I hope it wins, just because I think it's a much more deserving winner than Jaws.

There's so much going on in The Godfather and the cast is so huge that I felt like I was constantly lagging behind and trying to catch up with the rest of the film. I think that's why I enjoyed the second one so much more, because I was already familiar with the characters and their world. I desperately need to revisit both movies, though. I fully expect to fall in love with The Godfather on a re-watch.

Anyways, your passion for the film is evident in your (very good) review. Update this thread a little more often and you might be my pick for best reviewer.

Great review of a great movie, Sean. I almost went to see that and Goodfellas in a double feature at the drive-in tonight, but we have bad thunderstorms here. Oh well

Two of my favorite movies and at the drive-in. That would have been awesome.

The other screen is showing Die Hard and The Terminator. Too bad it's one night only.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Cast: John C Reilly, Julianne Moore, Tom Cruise, Phillip Baker Hall, Melora Walters, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, William H Macy

"Its a dangerous thing to confuse children with angels."

" The most useless thing in the world is what's behind me."

"I have sickness all around me and you ask me my life."

"This is the regret that you make."

"And we may be through with the past but the past is not through with us."

" Sometimes people need a little help, sometimes they need to be forgiven, and sometimes they need to go to jail."

Exodous 8:2

If you have not seen Magnolia it is very hard to get a grasp for the narrative from a normal plot summary. We have two older men at the end of their lives who want to make amends with their children. We have two child game show prodigies. One who was that years ago and is trying to deal with the fact that he no longer is. The other who is trying to deal with the pressure of being one now, most of that pressure coming from an overbearing father. We have a lonely cop who wants nothing more from life than to do the right thing and meet the right women. The film transitions quickly from story to story. It does so perfectly and this is all because of Anderson's direction. I don't think I have ever seen a better directed film. To juggle so many moving parts yet keep them all running seamlessly while still engaging the audience emotionally is directing perfection.

Magnolia does engage you emotionally right from the start. If it doesn't you will probably not enjoy this film. If it does you will probably have the reaction that many have over the years. No character is wasted in Magnolia and every single one is drawn perfectly. All of the characters are shown dealing with something from their past that has effected all aspects of their life. As we learn what those circumstance are we gain understanding of their psyche and connect with them. The first half of the film is spent building this theme of dealing with the past. The torment that each character is going through builds and builds until each gets some type of release. Anderson guides us through it every step of the way with his beautiful transitions and his choice of music which sets the tone and fits perfectly.

Of course as hard as every character tries they cannot bury the past. They most face their demons as we all do. The raw emotion of seeing each character deal with their circumstance in their own way engages us in yet another way emotionally with Magnolia. Every actor does a tremendous job of conveying these emotions in their respective scenes. In fact there is not a bad performance in Magnolia. Cruise, Moore, Hall, Reilly, Hoffman, and Walters are each brilliant. Each also have emotional scenes to showcase their talent. This is something else that Anderson should be given a lot of credit for. Similar to Tarantino he rarely, if ever, has bad performances in his films. I believe this is because of the characters he creates. They are so well fleshed out that if you simply put them in the hands of a capable actor then he receives a great performance.

It is hard of course to pick a favorite scene in a movie you love so much, but for me the best scene in Magnolia is the musical interlude. I have read many negative things about this scene but for me it fits the film perfectly. It comes at a moment when Anderson wants us to know that the characters are having an emotional release. Maybe I am in the minority but many times in my life when I have needed such a release it has happened when I was by myself and listening to a song that effects me. Exactly the way it happens for the characters in Magnolia. The song comes at a perfect time, it is the perfect song, and it is a joy to watch.

Concerning the frogs. Another device that has been decried by critics. Like the song I again think it is simple and well handled. In Exodus God sent plagues on Egypt until Pharaoh would let his people, or children, go. Simple but effective symbolism used here by Anderson. The characters in this film are in bondage. They have been held in bondage by someone in their life. They need to be freed. Some may have a better or deeper take on this sequence. For me it was simple, it was effective, and once again handled amazingly by Anderson.

In my estimation Magnolia is nothing short of perfect. I love going on this journey, as emotionally draining as it may be, with the characters. As stated above I do not think there is better film out there at dealing with raw humanity. The characters and themes are complex and must be experienced, probably many times, to be unraveled. It is well worth the effort if you have any interest in experiencing film on a emotional level.

Director: David Fincher

Cast: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Tyler Perry

Gone Girl was one of my most anticipated movies of the year. Not only is it Fincher, a director I mostly love, but it comes right around the time I start to set into blockbuster fatigue. I don't abhor summer movies. However, by the end of the summer I am ready for something more character driven. Gone Girl delivers on that front and many others. Unfortunately it also falls into some of the thriller traps that keep it from being great in my opinion. I really enjoy a good thriller. Unfortunately for me way too many start strong and then gradually just peck away at my suspension of belief. Gone Girl doesn't do enough of this pecking to make me dislike the film, but it does do enough to make me feel it is flawed. The first hour Gone Girl is really firing on all cylinders. The central relationship is not entirely original but it is very engaging. The peripheral relationships are really good as well. Nick's (Affleck) relationship with his sister and the detectives are not only well drawn and pertinent but also make for some of the more entertaining scenes in the film. Fincher sets a chilling tone but also makes all the characters easy to relate to and sympathetic. This is Gone Girl's strength by far for me. There are a fair number of twists in this film. I did not find any of them to be particularly jarring. What I did find myself doing consistently was second guessing what I thought was coming. The possibilities for how all the threads are going to play out are mostly front and center. What Fincher does by drawing the characters as well as he does is make you feel any of the many possibilities make sense. It really is brilliant because it makes what could feel like a paint by numbers thriller feel fresh and unique.

Most of what I dislike about Gone Girl is impossible to talk about in a review. Gone Girl is a film that is not to be spoiled. I really appreciate the way that Fincher cut his trailers because I had not a clue how all of this would play out while watching the film. When the first big twist in the movie comes, things started to change for me a bit. Gone Girl suddenly went from a atmospheric, character driven mystery to a how deranged are they going to get thriller. While I like the former much more than the latter, not all in the latter is bad. I was white knuckled through much of the second half of this film. You can just feel the more visceral moments in Gone Girl coming. Once again what sets this movie and Fincher apart is you never quite know when and who these moments are going to come from. While there are are a couple of things that I really didn't like in the last hour, it has to be said that I think the ending is really strong. It won't be for everyone, but I think most film fans are really going to appreciate it.

I think most of the performances in this film are on point. Affleck is not an actor I love, but he is an actor I think is fine if he is just allowed to be himself. This may sound stupid to some, like anyone can play themselves, but not everyone can. Affleck is very natural when he is allowed to be just this kind of laid back every man. I think it works very well here. The supporting cast is good across the board. No one is reinventing the wheel here, but no one has to. The one performance I did not care for was Pike as Nick's wife. Nothing from her seemed natural to me. I always felt like I was watching a performance from her, which is never what you want. It has surprised me that I have read a lot of praise for her, both here and elsewhere, since watching the film. I came out thinking that my opinion would be pretty universal for her performance. I am glad everyone got so much more out of Pike than I did, I just wish I had seen the same performance. Perhaps it would have helped some of my issues with the film.

Overall Gone Girl is a really enjoyable watch. I have not even touched on the themes of marriage that run through the course of the film. They are very easy to relate to and help drive much of the sympathy for the characters. There is also a good amount of humor which is fun and necessary. Some have even suggested that this may be a black comedy. That is not a contention I would agree with, but there is more then enough levity throughout. There was as much crowd reaction, both good and bad, at my viewing of this movie as any I have been to in a long time. Gone Girl was a nice start to the fall season and a movie I could see showing up on my year end top ten.

Ranking Fincher:

Nice review. It's now in the top spot on the Reviews page.

Sean! The Social Network is my favorite Fincher, as well. Great flick.

I love it. When I first saw it I wondered if it could stay relevant. I have seen it three times since and I love it even more. I don't think it is a coincidence that my favorite Fincher film is written by Sorkin. I am definitely a dialogue guy.

That's great review Sean, and I am pretty psyched to see this movie. I'm going to try to drag my wife out to see it. I think she'd love it too.

I'd recommend it to you and your wife, it's a hilarious film in a f*cked up way

Good review Sean even though I don't completely agree with you. I think Pike was absolutely brilliantly, as you say it's hard to talk without spoiling much but I think she nailed the role. I don't normally like Ben Affleck too much either, but he's cast perfectly here. I wasn't that bothered about the tonal shift in the second half, I liked it. The cinema I was in, the whole audience was laughing all the way to the end.

Director: Dan Gilroy

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Renee Russo, Bill Paxton

I wanted to get my thoughts on Nightcrawler down before I read a bunch of reviews and my mind starts to become cluttered. The reason for that is because I can see people after watching this movie writing a slew of critiques on how Nightcrawler is a media satire. How as a society we have become so blood thirsty that we have caused our media outlets to go to unthinkable extremes to get us the coverage of the depraved that we crave. I don't think there is anything wrong with reading the film this way, in fact it may even be the film maker's intention. However I do feel like this is a very simple conclusion to draw and I don't want that to be what I take away from this movie personally. My take away from this film is actually much simpler than this reading, and maybe even juvenile. It is something that I crave in my movie watching though, and something I never feel I get enough of anymore. Nightcrawler for me is simply well made, and a heck of a lot of fun to watch. That is what I “got” from the movie, and all that I desire from it. I already have an unhealthy disdain for the media. I already think that as a culture we care way too much about the disgusting things that we do to each other. I didn't need Nightcrawler to reinforce those prejudices in me, and it didn't.

Calling this movie a lot of fun to watch may come across as some to be rather crass. This movie is beyond dark. The protagonist (Gyllenhaal) is the pure definition of an anti-hero. Our first encounter with him is as he is committing a crime and at no point are we asked to root for him. Gyllenhaal is perfect in this role which is probably my favorite performance of his to date. The character is tragically flawed. Certainly a sociopath but I read him as being autistic as well. This is never explicitly stated but he has an uncanny knack for processing information very quickly. He also argues with only cold hard facts, as he sees them. He never lets emotion enter into the picture during confrontations with others. Gyllenhaal is doing everything with his eyes and mannerisms. He is in nearly every single frame of this film so to say he carries the film is an understatement. He is what made Nightcrawler fun for me to watch. I laughed out loud many times at his interactions with others. I cringed at the moments he was devolving, which was frequently. Most of all he kept me transfixed on the screen for the entire duration of the movie. So despite the fact that the subject matter is extremely dark, Nightcrawler remains entertaining by having a central character that is enthralling to watch. It is also really well written. The dialogue is sharp. It makes you laugh when appropriate, and sometimes when laughing makes you uncomfortable to do so. It stirs up strong disdain for certain characters when it needs to. It immerses us in the world of the characters. This is Nightcrawler's other major positive aspect. It sets the world perfectly. L.A. feels dark and dangerous throughout, extremely seedy. The film looks like a great crime drama. If I didn't already know better I would not have been shocked to see Michael Mann's name pop up as the end credits rolled. Again maybe it sounds strange to call this type of atmosphere entertaining. That is exactly what it was though, the film is extremely cinematic.

Nightcrawler did have a major flaw for me and unfortunately it came in the form of Russo's news executive. While Gilroy does give this character clear motivations, it never felt realistic that she would go as far as she does at several points in the film. I won't say much more to avoid spoilers. I will say this character is the only thing that took me out of the movie at times. I do not have a clear picture of what I would have done differently. The character is important to the story moving forward. I do wish they could have found another way as I really did not enjoy her at any point.

Nightcrawler is a highly entertaining thriller. One that I will be recommending to others and will be quick to revisit. Now I am off to see what others are saying about it.