Boogie Nights -- [A-]
Successfully revealing the 70's porn industry from the inside, Boogie Nights is a modern day epic. Eddie (Mark Wahlberg) is a young, confused kid with nothing to do with his life. He seeks to prove that he is worth something by using his greatest asset, in his pants. Boogie Nights isn't about a bunch of perverts it's about the real, dependent people and the family that is created behind the scenes. Reynolds and Moore have strong supporting roles. Anyway, it's full of drugs, sex, and profanity, so how could you go wrong?
The Ice Storm -- [A+]
Director Ang Lee's The Ice Storm examines the lives of two families in the 1970's dealing with the effects of the sexual revolution that began in the 60's. It eloquently shows how individuals fall apart and come together void of any cheesiness and warmthmovies about families can be. An excellent screenplay with great direction and cinematography to complement it. Also, brilliantperformances all around especially from the film's leading women (Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Christina Ricci). The failure ofthe Academy to give it any nominations was the biggest disappointment of the year.
In The Company of Men -- [A-]
Here's one for all the cynics out there. Two executives working on a six week project together seek revenge on the women who have hurt them in the past. Their plan is for both of them to seek out a lonely woman, both fall madly in love with her, and then abandon her in the end.The script is heavily based on its superb dialogue and a scene often plays for five minutes with only one camera shot.