Blu-ray Review

What?

Boogie Nights follows the adolescent dreams of well-endowed Californian teenager Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg) as he naively enters the painfully isolated world of seventies pornography. Determined to prove his abusive mother wrong and mimic his childhood heroes, he becomes enmeshed within an acting fraternity that aid his rise to notoriety, eventually leading him down the path of self-destruction and grandiosity. With the dramatic changes in the adult film industry coinciding with hungrier male actors vying for power, his hopes and fears ultimately threaten to bury him before he’s truly matured. Leonardo DiCaprio was originally offered the role of Eddie but despite showing a keen interest, he had other commitments, so suggested Mark Wahlberg for the role. A decision which allowed Wahlberg to turn in the best performance of his career to date.

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Optics:

I’m very pleased to say that despite any reservations on my part the transfer from 35mm to high definition reveals a natural picture with vibrant saturation and inviting textures supporting the film’s attempt at retrospective themes. Blacks are also deep and rich and skin detail is well balanced, and without detraction from edge enhancement or grain, it amounts to an impressive HD video presentation that credits the medium well and will not disappoint.

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Sonics:

The Dolby TrueHD mix is also pleasantly engaging, particularly during the numerous funky disco tracks peppered throughout the film, and with clear and engaging dialogue the audio is clear enough at all times, despite a significant increase in the listening level to appreciate the lossless bitrate. Although I’m not a fan of most of Dolby’s efforts this is still a credible track that compliments the picture well, deserving high scores on both fronts.

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Extras:

The numerous outtakes and extended scenes are well worth checking out and it’s a shame Paul Thomas Anderson never thought to include some of them, as they have a value and contribution that should spare them from the cutting room floor. There’s also the option to include commentaries during their playback which again provides frequently amusing insights.

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Well?

Paul Thomas Anderson has a very distinct approach to film-making that some may find drawn out and overly complex, but I personally appreciate the care he takes when trying to build a world you can believe in, and with Boogie Nights he succeeded in humanising an industry many of us could honestly care less about. The acting lineup is extensive and talented and there’s never a dull moment in its two and a half hour runtime, a rare fact with the majority of Hollywood productions. If you haven’t seen this poignant and comedic flick, then Blu-ray is the obvious choice if you have the technology and if you own the DVD, this is an upgrade recommendation worthy of your money even at full price.

Neil Egan-Ronayne