It's true I never have been a too big fan of John Boorman but I can still appreciate some of his movie, of which this movie is definitely one.

It's actually a surprisingly great movie really. Surprising, since the movie is a very simple and minimalistic one, with its setup and settings. But that obviously is actually a huge part of its strength and helps to give the movie a great sense of realism.

I would even describe this movie as hyper-realistic, in which none of the events feel forced and everything progresses in a very natural way, even though the story itself in essence is still a pretty far fetched one. There is not even really a buildup to things but the movie simply just allows things to happen, as also would be the case in real life. This doesn't always work out for a movie but in this case it works out extremely well and gives the movie a great sense of tension and constant danger as well. It besides makes the movie an unpredictable one, especially once you start to realize that none of the main characters are ever safe.

It ultimately is a very basic movie about survival, in which men literally goes back to nature. It lets this movie sound like the ultimate guys movie but its approach ensures that this movie remains very watchable and accessible for just about everybody. Everybody should be able to get something out of this movie and should be able to identify themselves with at least one of the movie its main characters and their behavior and reasoning.

It's also still a very violent movie but the movie its violence isn't there to shock or impressive you. It instead is their to add to the movie its realism and helps to let all of its characters come across as real human beings, that can get hurt in an all too real way.

It's a funny thing that this movie has some great actors in it, that are all quite hard to recognize, to be honest. First of all Burt Reynolds without a mustache....it makes him look like a totally different guy! Same story for a still very young looking Jon Voight, with lots of blond hair and Ronny Cox, looking younger and more dorky than you have ever seen him. For the first few minutes I honestly had no idea I was watching Jon Voight and Ronny Cox! But having said all that, all of them are great in this movie of course, as is Ned Beatty, who is more recognizable.

A really great and above all very effective movie!

8/10

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(Review originally written at 19 February 2008)

This is a pretty crazy comedy, divided in 7 segments, all concentrating on different aspects of sex. It's a completely silly, over-the-top done comedy, made in about the same comical style as the early Mel Brooks films. This means that the movie is filled with some crazy characters, hilarious crazy situations and fast jokes, also with its dialog. It's perhaps Allen's most comedy like comedy.

The title might make the movie sound as if it has some educational value but let me tell you, it has none. The situations and characters as portrayed in this movie are way over-the-top for that and basically the only thing the movie offers is some fun entertainment. For instance, one segment is about a giant breast that's on the loose and on a killing spree. Another segment is about a doctor who falls in love with a sheep. This sort of tells you how this movie is like.

Because the movie is divided in 7 totally different segments, the movie has both some great moments and just not as great moments. But anyway, none of the segments are long enough to make you go bored or loose interest just because you don't like one of the segments. And besides, every segments has its fun and at times completely hilarious moments in it to really make you laugh.

Most of the movie is done in one and the same style but some of the segments really differ from the others, such as the Italian segment called 'Do Some Women Have Trouble Reaching Orgasm?'. This perhaps doesn't really make "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask" one of the most consistent movies ever made but I for one don't really mind that all segments differ somewhat from each other. As a matter of fact, while watching this movie I was wondering if the movie wouldn't actually had been an even better one if each segment was being directed by a totally different director, each with their own personal style and approach.

Lot of fine actors show up in this movie. Allen himself plays 4 different roles in 4 of the segments and not always in the lead role. He however lets others play the main role in the others, which works out fine. I think it would had made the movie all the more incoherent when Allen would had played the main lead in all of the different segments. Other actors that really draw your attention in this movie, also because you just don't expect them to see in this movie and in the roles they play (such as Burt Reynolds) are Gene Wilder as the doctor who falls for a sheep and also John Carradine in a crazy scientist role, also no doubt as a fun homage to his horror movies past, from mostly the '40's.

A movie you just have to enjoy.

8/10

(Review originally written at 13 August 2006)

I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie at first. I expected this movie to be a fun and non-serious one. After all the movie its premise and concept seems at first sight like fun comedy material rather than heavy dramatic stuff. Overall the movie did had a fun and non-serious feeling and atmosphere all over it but the movie is not without good and powerful dramatic moments as well. The movie and its story even take epic proportions at times, especially in the movie its second halve. You can say that this movie really surprised me in a positive about how good it was and it surely surpassed all my expectations.

Basically this movie is a great example of good storytelling. It takes its time to set out the lines. Lots of characters are introduced and the movie takes its time to develop every one of them. The first halve of the movie sets up things and it does this in a pretty lighthearted and fun way, with lots of crazy over-the-top, stereotypical characters. Once the second halve kicks in the movie becomes more dramatic and serious. It all works surprisingly powerful and effective. Surprising, since it's obviously in contrast with the first halve of the movie. "Boogie Nights" is a well balanced movie that gets heavy and serious but never without its overall fun lighthearted atmosphere. The characters and situations force you to not take this movie serious, no matter how heavy and dramatic it gets. In this case that is not a bad thing, since it all is so extremely well balanced. It's like the one thing helps to make the other better in this movie, instead of working distracting from- or making it not credible.

The movie also does a very good job at recreating the feeling, look and atmosphere of the '70's. It does this of course with its clothes, sets and facial hair but also with more subtle things such as its dialog. It all helps to make "Boogie Nights" a very style-full looking movie with a creative feeling and atmosphere of its own.

It does a good and creative job at keeping the nudity and sex sequences to a minimum, although it of course is impossible to keep out all the nudity and controversy. That is simply impossible, since the movie is about a controversial subject. The movie provides a good refreshing and I think also realistic(?) look into the world of porn in the '70's and '80's, when the video's and cinematic adult movies were new and popular. It however does this in a respectful way without making really any fun of it. It's highly tempting to turn a movie set in the '70's into a satirical comedy of that era. It does make fun of several things, such as the typical '70's television series but the movie never turns into a full satire.

The movie is filled with some wonderful and well known actors, who all give a very good performance. Many big names are involved and that says something about the quality of the Oscar nominated script, that obviously inspired and impressed the fine actors involved. Mark Wahlberg shows that he can handle a big and heavy carrying role. He shows his qualities and skills in this movie. Also really great were Burt Reynolds and Julianne Moore, who both were nominated for an Oscar as well. Other fine roles are being portrayed by good and well known actors such as Heather Graham, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Don Cheadle, Thomas Jane, Luis Guzmán and Alfred Molina. Yes, it certainly is true that there are many and perhaps too many characters in the movie. It tries too follow one or two too many plot lines with as a result that not everything and everyone works out quite well enough. This perhaps is the only flaw in this otherwise great, wonderful, compelling and powerful movie.

A fun to watch but yet also wonderful compelling and powerful movie about the rise and fall of a porn star in the '70's/'80's. A movie that takes surprising epic proportions! Certainly among the very best movies of the '90's.

9/10

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