There is no shortage of films about the crass greed of stockbrokers and others who make their living selling. The broker is usually depicted as manipulative, dishonest and successful, or naive, ambitious and willing to sell his soul. But rarely has the tortured path of the unwilling Faust been portrayed as well as Giovanni Ribisi does in Boiler Room.
I read this article a while back, that said that Microsoft employs more millionaire secretaries than any other company in the world. They took stock options over Christmas bonuses. It was a good move. I remember there was this picture, of one of their groundskeepers next to his Ferrari. Blew my mind. You see shit like that, and it just plants seeds, makes you think it's possible, even easy. And then you turn on the TV, and there's just more of it. The 87-million-dollar lottery winner, that kid actor who just made 20 million on his last movie, that Internet stock that shot through the roof—you could have made millions if you had just gotten in early, and that's exactly what I wanted to do: get in. I didn't want to be an innovator any more, I just wanted to make the quick and easy buck, I just wanted in. The Notorious B-I-G said it best: "Either you're slingin' crack-rock, or you've got a wicked jump-shot." Nobody wants to work for it anymore. There's no honor in taking that after-school job at Mickey Dee's, honor's in the dollar, kid. So I went the white-boy way of slinging crack-rock; I became a stock broker.
Director/writer Ben Younger set out to answer the questions the movie's tag line poses, "Where would you turn? How far would you go? How hard will you fall?" He introduces Seth Davis (Ribisi) as a sharp, smart, entreprenurial type desperate to win the approval of his hard-nosed father, a federal judge (sternly played by Ron Rifkin). Judge Davis is furious with Seth, not for dropping out of college, but for lying to his family about it for six months. He confronts Seth at a rare appearance at the family table, angry that his son is running an illegal casino.
Article comments
1 - Eric Berlin
Great thoughts, DrPat. I love this film -- and I think you hit it exactly right as it belongs on the level of Wall Street and GGGR (films referenced in Boiler Room, as you rightly note).
The performances "sell" this film, in my opinion. Ribisi and Rifkin are terrific. I believe this is the best performance I've seen out of Vin Diesel as well, who turned a budding indie/character role career into blockbuster success shortly thereafter. (If you think I'm bluffing, watch Boiler Room and Knockabout Guys, then come back).
This might be Affleck's best performance as well, up there with Chasing Amy. Tough as nails asshole hotshot that almost matches Baldwin's masterpiece of a scene in Glen Gary.
What I always love to point out about Boiler Room: the chop shop brokerage is referenced as being off Exit 52 on the LIE... which is my home town! Commack, New York, on the north shore of "Strong" Island.
2 - DrPat
I sat down to watch this movie, totally unsuspecting. I was blown away within the first ten minutes - I barely moved in my seat until the conclusion! I can't think of a single character in the film that wasn't well-drawn and well-played.
3 - dietdoc
It was Affleck, Ribisi and Diesel's - all three's - best performance in any film before or since. The script was tight and well-written and the movie had an excellent message to the youth of world of capitalism. I thought it would launch all three of the leads to big successes. That sure didn't pan out like I expected. Vin and Giovanni were bottle rockets and Ben, well, he just sorta hangs around but his prime is past. Whoever cast this movie should have got an Oscar.
I agree Dr. Pat, it was a terrific movie.
Cheers,
Ron
4 - Temple Stark
DrP, Be proud, you're one of the best and a Blogcritics editors' pick. Go to this link here to finds out why.
Thank you.