A tale loosely based on the infamous, ahem, film star John Holmes who enjoyed super stardom amidst the seedy porn world in the boom time of the 70's when hardcore became as mainstream as it could expect to be. Mark Wahlberg, ex-Rapper of truly horrid quality, plays the deftly named Dirk Diggler who is drafted into the world of adult films by Burt Reynolds' director character due to his rather unique physical attributes, or rather attribute.

What ensues is a highly humourous depiction into the workings of a rather madcap crew in the booming Adult film industry during the "liberal" 70's and then how things start going depressingly adrift once the 80's roll on, bringing with them the era of Aids and the cursed video tape instead of film as the preferred porn medium. Wahlberg's performance in Boogie Nights is spot on. The fellow really has come a long way from his days of dishing out shite as Marky Mark or selling undies for Calvin Klein. He may yet carve himself a decent run in this profession and is improving with each film doing a noticeably good turn as Diggler. Watch out for this rough kid from Boston making it big time one day.

Burt Reynolds, the Hollywood superstar of the 70's and early 80's was hardly remembered for his acting prowess but pulls off a highly restrained, underplayed role as the smut merchant. He has already won a Golden Globe and is one of the Oscar nominees this year. He has a calming, sobering and even fatherly sort of effect on the farcical happenings around him. Yet perhaps the real revelation was Julianne Moore (the girl in Jurassic Park; Lost World) who in her role as Amber Waves, queen of Adult flicks, displays a rare gift in front of the camera. Her performance is wonderfully expressive.

The film also boasts an epic soundtrack featuring gems from the disco era of the 70's and 80's. Songs, which we were too "intellectual" to enjoy in those days, sound vintage fun now especially when compared to the drivel that we are surrounded by presently, erm Aqua anyone? Maybe we're just getting old in the tooth as they say!

The film is both painfully sad as well as poignantly funny. The acting is first rate all around with Wahlberg, Reynolds, Heather Graham and Al Molina excelling. The film works perfectly well on a number of levels with a sexy potboiler not being one of them. A film of fine subtle, qualities.