SunnyHello Nice effects though.

GazerRise Fantastic!

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Paul J. Nemecek At first glance, Seth Davis appears to be just another college dropout looking for a quick path to success. When we dig a bit deeper we discover that Seth is also the son of a federal judge, and that he desperately longs for his father's approval and affirmation. When we first meet Seth, he is running an illegal casino out of his apartment and making pretty good money at it. When he decides to go "legit", he pursues an invitation to become a broker at a "boiler room"-a volatile trading room specializing in high-pressure sales.When I saw the previews for Boiler Room I told my wife that it looked a bit like Wall Street meets Glengarry Glenn Ross. I didn't realize how right I was until I saw the film. To his credit, writer/director Ben Younger makes explicit references to both films. I guess it's not plagiarism if you cite your sources. While this film is clearly derivative, it has its own voice and manages to tell an important story in a compelling manner.Like Glengarry Glenn Ross, this is a story about hyper-competitive salesmen with too much testosterone for their own good. Like Wall Street, there is an underlying ethic of "greed is good". What separates this film from the others is its compassionate portrayal of the victims. When you realize the degree of hurt and pain created by greed and a raw lust for power, you can't help but hurt. Giovanni Ribisi is perfectly cast as Seth Davis, the corrupted innocent who longs for his father's approval. There are a number of great supporting performances too (Ben Affleck, Tom Everett Scott, Nia Long, Ron Rifkin), but what makes the film really work is the writing. The dialogue sizzles and the story is compelling, even when it hurts.Adam Smith believed that capitalism was an ideal economic system based on enlightened self-interest. This film gives us a gripping depiction of naked self-interest. There is no light here, only shadow-and what a nasty shadow it is. Even the victims of the con artists are, in part, done in by their own greed and striving for prosperity.One of the best things about the film is that it left me with questions that won't go away. Specifically, I wonder if the greed and naked self-interest depicted in The Boiler Room is an aberration of American capitalism, or the logic of American capitalism followed to its natural conclusion? Last week when several of us had dinner with a sociologist friend of mine, we were trying to decide if "responsible capitalism" was an oxymoron. This film might not answer the question for you, but it could leave you wondering.

MartinHafer Before you decide whether to watch "Boiler Room" you need to decide if you are willing to watch a movie with the F-bomb being dropped 323420854 times. It is an excellent film...but if you are offended by cursing, look elsewhere.The story is about Seth, a young man with little in the way of conscience. Instead of working hard the normal and expected way, Seth wants to cut corners. So while his peers go to college, he skips classes and opens a casino in his house...and makes a ton of money. However, Seth's hard-as-nails father is naturally disappointed in him...and makes that obvious. Wanting to make something of himself and impress his dad, Seth goes to work for a trading company. But this is not exactly the Wall Street variety firm but instead their attitude is say and do ANYTHING to make the sale...anything. They're obviously a sleazy outfit but just how sleazy is something Seth has to discover for himself...and even with Seth is a bit appalled by this...but he loves all the money!The film is coarse and crass--and this is appropriate for the 20- somethings that star in the film. They are, by and large, guys with no souls and are motivated by greed and self-indulgence. The overall film is much like "Glengarry Glen Ross" and "Wall Street" merged into one...and targeted to a slightly younger audience. Well made and hard to see without being impressed. However, I am very surprised that after writing and directing such a fine film that Ben Younger STILL is mostly making short films and his feature career hasn't taken off. I'd sure love to know why...

Floated2 Boiler Room starring Giovanni Ribisi. Scene enters where takes the bait, diving into a stock-selling brokerage of sorts paying larger than seemingly possible commissions to its obsessed new recruits. The bland looking Giovanni is great with his attentive, yet skeptical, always- thinking plain-faced appearance.Giovanni's father isn't easy to please. The best scenes of the movie are between he and his judge-dad, "I'm not your best friend, I'm your father." Giovanni desperately tries to explain his side, his father interrupts, "What side? You're wrong!"Vin Diesel also gives a solid performance as the senior partner who takes Giovanni under his wings, far from his mold where he is today. The first act stalls and is quite a development but the second act comes into fruition, as we see the schemes unfold.

g-bodyl Boiler Room is the new millennium's version of Wall Street. Both deal with money, corruption, greed, and all of that good stuff. This film strongly gives a message on how honesty is a key to life, not greed. It also shows how money leads to corruptness and how Wall Street is just a bunch of lies. This film is surprisingly well-acted and has a very smart screenplay. However, the ending leaves something to be desired. After a zany, smart hour and a half, they just tidied up the mess as if nothing happened.Ben Younger's film is about a guy named Seth Davis who runs an unlicensed casino in his apartment. In an attempt to go straight, he joins with this small finance firm outside New York City and after hitting success, he begins to realize something may be up with this firm.This film is well-acted for sure. Who would have ever thought Vin Diesel would be in a movie like this with no action scenes but he still brings his intimidating pose here. Giovanni Ribisi does a solid job in the lead role. I really liked Ben Affleck here as well and he sure is one sleazebag here.Overall, this is a really good film that was a little hampered by the ending. But with a smart script, great acting, and a tense atmosphere, this film gives us an interesting inside look on the corruption and greediness of Wall Street. I rate this film 8/10.