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Boiler Room

Boiler Room

List Price: $12.98
Your Price: $9.74
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: BOILER ROOM MOVIE
Review: I ENJOYED THE MOVIE. IF YOU TRADE AND YOU LIKED WALL STREET, IM SURE YOULL LIKE BOILER ROOM. KEEPS YOUR ATTENTION AND IS PRETTY TRUE TO WHAT GOES ON IN A LOT OF BROKERAGE FIRMS...A+ ON THIS ONE....

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: not worth the time
Review: If you have to, only to watch Ribisi, an interesting actor. Affleck was terrible, trying without shame to copy Alec Baldwin from Glengarry Glen ross and failing miserably. Maybe the movie appeals to people (youngsters most likely) who haven't seen many films in their life, but the rest of us should stay away. Absolutely nothing new, and once again, painful to watch Affleck.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Boiler loses steam in the second half
Review: The first half of Boiler Room is highly entertaining. True, it borrows unabashedly from Wall Street and Glengarry Glen Ross, but it pays homage to those films with flair. This story, about a shady securities firm which uses money-hungry young alpha males to push bum stocks on an unsuspecting public, is actually more true to life than most realize. I have friends who have worked at or crossed path with such firms, and many of them remind me of the young hotshots of Boiler Room. Anyone who has read the cult classic Liar's Poker will see some similar personalities in this film.

The first half, which follows the entrance of young Seth (Giovanni Ribisi) into this "chop shop" brokerage firm J.T. Marlin, has a certain snap, crackle, and pop. The employees of this firm are like an immature gang of boys with too much money, but director Ben Younger gives them smart dialogue and a certain mischevious charm. They're the types of hip slicksters that outsiders scorn, but only with a certain amount of envy.

Affleck, Ribisi, and Vin Diesel are especially good. I haven't seen much of Vin Diesel except in Saving Private Ryan, but he's a dynamic young talent. Ribisi is a unique actor. Shy, and you can't tell if beneath it all he's psychotic or a sweet young kid.

Unfortunately, the second half introduces the usual manufactured Hollywood conflict and resolutions which always feel like a script doctor came in at the last minute to wrap a film up. The rocky relationship between Seth and his dad (Ron Rifkin) does not feel real. It is ironic that it is the introduction of a common theme, the strained relationship between father and son, that trips up the engrossing realism of this film. A smart audience recognizes that even young men with wonderful relationships with their fathers could be easily seduced by the promise of a quick fortune in the fraternity of J.T. Marlin.

In the end, this is a film worth watching on the strength of its first half. When a few of the young brokers in the film sit around watching Wall Street, reciting Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen's lines from heart, you'll wish you knew the words too.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: WORTH SEEING
Review: It's good to see Giovanni Ribisi in a lead role, and he pulls it off well. Ben Affleck is awesome also in a cameo performance, but the show belongs to Ribisi. The movie is about underground stockbrokers in Long Island so that whole world is interesting and then you have the boy-girl relationship which is less interesting and a more interesting relationship between Ribisi's character and his father. Good performances and a decent script make this a movie worth checking out. Only flaws really are the hip-hop soundtrack - it doesn't fit the movie subject matter and seems to be an obvious attempt at making the movie hip for the Gen-Y audience, and Ribisi's relationship with a more mature-seeming black woman stretches believability.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Tale of Greed
Review: A fly-by-night stock brokerage selling bogus stocks to unsuspecting customers is the scene for this tale of greed as a young man, Seth, played by Giovanni Ribisi of "Wonder Years" fame, gets into the business. The tale of his rise, fall and eventual redemption kept me on the edge of my seat. There was so much action and excitement to the film that I didn't look at my watch once.

Seth also has a troubled relationship with his father, Ron Rifkin which was well crafted and moving. And a relationship with the Afro American receptionist, played by Nia Long which lacked the electricity to make it real. There's a cameo appearance of Ben Affleck as one of the brokers, but he is obviously just in this movie to give it a little star appeal.

The script is fast paced, and well developed, although I didn't quite understand all the stock broker terms. I didn't need to though; knew it was all a scam. There's also some Jewish-Italian ethnic jokes that seemed superfluous to the plot, especially since characters to whom they were directed seemed to be just as WASP as everyone else.

For pure entertainment, though, and a caustic look at this rather obscene interpretation of the American dream, check out this lively and interesting video.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Wall Street for Dummies is True
Review: If you think this movie was intelligent and the best stock market film I feel sorry for you. I can name ten better than this and even though this movie tries to become Wall Street for the 90's it incredibly falls short. Why? More than one reason. First of all the actors don't compare to those in Wall Street. Martin Sheen and Michael Douglas stole the show in Wall Street with fine, veteran acting. I didn't care for Charlie Sheen but even he was better than Giovanni Ribisi. Boiler Room was just another film thrown up to target a young audience. It has no point, no plot and the best actors were the ones shown the least. Jamie Kennedy, Nicky Katt, Ron Ripkin, Nia Long ( and the guy that played Harry ) were the sparks of the film. Ben Affleck and Vin Diesel's presence wasn't needed. Neither of them did anything of importance. All the actors in the world and the casting director picked Ribisi to be the lead? Especially when he's standing beside actors who would have played Seth ten times better? I can't see that. He may be a likeable supporting character but he wasn't strong enough to carry the role of Seth. I love interracial relationships but there is no way in the world a woman as beautiful as Nia Long would look at a room full of young men and fall for Giovanni Ribisi, who played Seth like a mindless dork.. Sorry, but I couldn't believe that. Seth was supposed to be this hustler yet he is so stupid he can't see that J.T. is a chop shop? Please! Anyway this is nothing to get hot for unless you like lackluster films that will only amount to " wannabe " status. Yes this is a wannabe Wall Street that never is or never will be.

Don't be fooled by the great soundtrack. They used hip hop to lure you into thinking this film was hip and trendy. Once you start to watch it you see it's nothing to get excited about.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: STEAMY BUT LUKEWARM
Review: Giovanni Ribisi shows what a versatile and talented young actor he is. Usually relegated to supporting, psycho types of roles, Ribisi does something few actors can effectively do: he gives a brilliant performance in a role he is miscast in. Ribisi plays Seth vitally well, but in no way does he truly fit the character. As many reviewers have noted, would sexy Nia Long single him out of all those hunks to have a fling with? Maybe she got tired of the good looks and empty brains and wanted a brain? But even Seth is pretty stupid in how he fails to see the truth behind this assortment of hucksters. Vin Diesel is revealing in his role, probably the only one he hasn't shown off his body in; Tom Everett Scott is wasted as the company's malevolent owner; Long looks pretty but she seems vacuous and unreal; Ben Affleck gives one of his best performances in his small but impressive role; Scott Caan and Jamie Kennedy don't get to do much but strut; and Taylor Nichols as Harry is marvelous. Ron Rifkin does well as Seth's father, but his performance is undermined by a poorly written script, changing him from the father from Hell into an understanding patriarch. His explanation of what happened when Seth had his bicycle accident borders on camp because it doesn't make any sense. But Ribisi tries hard and does well as always. I hated the score; it did nothing but interfere and punctuate the fact that the best scores are ones written for the movie and provide INSTRUMENTAL accompaniment that forwards the plot, not hinders it. Overly rated, BOILER ROOM also fails to provide closure; we know Seth has "won," but we don't get to see the fruits of his work. Trying too hard to be "artsy" BOILER ROOM offers little suspense or little compensation for the two hours spent watching it. The 3 stars are mainly for the performance of Ribisi and its original theme.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ribisi and Diesel= A great duo!
Review: Giovanni Ribisi is outstanding as Seth Davis, a young and up coming wall street broker. He lets success get to his head and is alienating those around him. Especially his father, who is played brilliantly by Ron Rifkin. This is one of the first few movies where Vin Diesel made a name for himself here. He doesn't get enough credit for his acting and he does an exceptional job playing Chris Varick. This movie is Wall Street with a twist. Don't miss it!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Didn't Anyone Else Notice.......
Review: O.K. I admit that I picked this up because Vin Diesel's in it and surprisingly I found it very interesting. I especially liked the characters portrayed by Vin Diesel and Ben Affleck. I have noticed that this movie received a lot of negative reviews but I'm surprised that no one as far as I can see has mentioned how sexist it is. The only two female employees of the firm were secretaries, they had no female clients because as they phrased it "female clients can be a pain in the ass" calling all the time fretting about what their stock IS or ISN'T doing, oh and the worst part of all.....under the deleted scenes there is one entitled "The Hotel Room" which is not only borderline pornagraphic, but portrays two prostitues being used in the most offensive of ways. It's a shame because personally I enjoyed it as much as Wall Street, but it was sexist, vulgar and offensive at times.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Boiling Point
Review: Boiler Room is often critized as a "rip off" of Wall Street and Glengarry Glenross. While all three films share common themes, there is enough going for the movie, to make it work. Just because it isn't as problem free as those other business films, doesn't mean it's a total loss.

Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi) runs a small-time casino operation out of his apartment. With his streetwise business smarts, he's recruited to join the city's's newest and hottest stock brokerage firm, an aggressive, renegade corporation far from the traditions of Wall Street. Trained by the company's top young turks, Chris (Vin Diesel) and Greg (Nicky Katt), Seth takes quickly to his new job's instant riches and fast-life pleasure. He even gets to start over again with his estranged father, Marty (Ron Rifkin). Seth even eventually wins the heart of Greg's ex-girlfriend Abbie (Nia Long). Just as it all seems too good to be true--he learns the real truth behind all of this intoxicating success. Just as quickly as he was seduced by the firm, Seth finds himself caught in a web that could bring himself, his father's judgeship and his whole world crashing in on him.

First time writer/director Ben Younger got quite lucky. The cast in the film helps to overcome it's weaknesses. This group works very well together. I enjoyed the father/son dynamic in particular Willing to take a back seat for a smaller role is actor Ben Affleck in an effective performance. The script does have its problems--like relying on actual script references to the two films I mentioned at the outset once too often. Pay homage and then move on...I suppose that explains some of the criticisms/comparisions.

The DVD has a solid assortment of bonus materials. The audio commentary has Younger, the film's producer Jennifer Todd and Ribisi discussing the film. It's a pretty good track over all. A second track features the film's score--isolated with comments by composer The Angel. While I don't think the music was all that different, it's nice to have that rare composer perspective anyway. The deleted scenes are nice to see but were wisely cut from the film. The alternate ending is nice to contrast but that's it. DVD-ROM features include script to screen, a look at the the film's website, and an interactive quiz. The original theatrical trailer, cast and crew filmographies, and two menu hidden easter eggs (minor info and additional trailers) top off the disc.

Boiler Room is another look at the relentless, cutthroat inner sanctum of high-risk world of business. It may travel down familiar paths at times, but it's still entertaining enough, to be recommended.


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