Boogie Nights

Directed by:  Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring:  Mark Wahlburg, Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman
Running Time:  2h 35min

This movies takes you on a wonderful ride full of characters, images, sights and sounds that will leave you breathless and exhilarated.  The acting is superb, with many hilarious yet extremely heartbreaking performances, notably Macy and Hoffman.  This is the best film direction I've seen in awhile from a sophomore director.  He borrows heavily from classic 70s directors but in a loving and unique combination, ushering in the new crew of directors that grew up on such great 70s fare.  From the opening shot that lasts about three minutes to several eye-pleasing tracking and dolly shots, the film's length is never felt.  Your involvement in the characters is deep as you feel everything that they feel. The most heartwarming is the portrait at the end.

Grade: A

Deliverance

Directed by:  John Boorman
Starring:  Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox
Running Time:  1h 49min

A tight little suspense action movie that owes a lot to the scenery and the scenery chewing performances of the lead actors.  A quaint canoe trip seems a bit dangerous but the four "city boys" aren't prepared for what happens to them.  A wonderful comment and look into human survival and instinct.  I caught this one on TV so I'm sure that I missed a good thirteen minutes or so.  Those missing minutes may explain the weird cuts and odd pacing of the film.  The relevance of some of the villagers and their conditions seem to go unexplained, almost adding an "Island of Dr. Moreau" subplot that never emerges.  A movie like this only leaves the viewer with a scary reminder the next time they find themselves lost in some unknown woods.  Things can get worse.

Grade: B-