“Boogie Nights” to “The Bourne Identity”
Boogie Nights (1997) Very loosely based on the life of infamous porn-star John Holmes, Mark Wahlberg gets to show off what was in his Calvin’s (Well, not really… but he admits that his, um, prop is one of the only souvenirs he has ever kept from a film) before he took up acting. A great supporting cast includes Don Cheadle, John C. Reilly, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Burt Reynolds. Yeah, but with talent like that, you can’t go wrong. Wahlberg plays a pretty dumb guy who has a singular talent that allows him to become a, um, big star in the 1970’s/1980’s heyday of porn and the rest play various folks also in the biz, with Burt leading the way as the star-maker. A very funny and realistic film that, despite the subject matter that might offend some, is worth seeing for all of the talent, uh, on display. (SB)
The Boondock Saints (1999) Though it did little on its extremely limited theatrical release, The Boondock Saints has gathered a cult following on DVD. Its a fun action/thriller in the same vein as Tarantino or Guy Ritchie films i.e. heavy on the violence with chunks of off-the wall humor thrown in. The violence is provided by Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus and the humor is courtesy Willem Dafoe and Billy Connelly, both of whom, come to think of it, are pretty violent too. (GS)
Le Boucher (1970) Claude Charbol’s finest movie is a gripping, complex series of snapshots from the unusual relationship between a rural butcher (Jean Yanne) and his wife (the gorgeous Stéphane Audran). Sinister, intelligent, a rejection of bland bourgeois conformity marbled with a curiously touching love story. Not for all tastes but brilliantly unusual. (KT)
The Bounty (1984) Sumptuous retelling of the most famous mutiny on the high seas with an incredible cast (Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Edward Fox, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson). (GS)
The Bourne Identity (2002) Action movies dont come much better than this. Fast-paced, with gorgeous European scenery and a surprisingly macho turn from Matt Damon. This riveting thriller is one not to miss. (GS)
Originally published in Raspberry World – Volume 2, Issue 1 (June/July 2007)