Boiler Room
"You either got a killer jump shot, or you're slinging crack rock." The words of Notorious B.I.G., spoken by the film's narrator at the beginning of Boiler Room, will immediately catch you off guard. That's appropriate, because chances are you'll also be surprised at how good the unheralded Boiler Room turns out to be.
The film stars Giovanni Ribisi (Saving Private Ryan) as Seth, a young man who's interested in making a quick buck. College is too slow a route to money, so Seth starts up a gambling racket in his apartment. He has a sharp sense for how to generate a profit, and within no time his "casino" is raking in the dough. This causes the considerable consternation of his father, a N.Y. city judge played by Ron Rifkin, who fears the repercussions that will come if authorities discover that his son is running a gambling operation.
To please his Dad - who he has a tense relationship with - Seth shuts down his casino and takes a job at J.T. Marlin, a stock brokerage firm. His introduction to the firm comes via a blistering sermon from Ben Affleck as Jim, a senior member of the firm. Jim doesn't pull any punches about the work - it will make you a millionaire in a hurry, he tells a group of trainees, but there are sacrifices to be made. "Don't even think about vacation," snarls Affleck. "You want vacation? Go teach fucking elementary school." Affleck delivers the goods, turning in his best work since Good Will Hunting in a small role similar to Alec Baldwin's memorable turn in Glengarry Glen Ross (a film which Boiler Room references along with Wall Street).
Seth is a fast learner, and quickly establishes himself as the cream of the new sales force. Ribisi's transformation from soft-spoken young man to ruthless salesman is impressive, and the sales scenes are the best in the film, smacking of authenticity. Unfortunately, a romance between Seth and the company secretary Abby (Nia Long) lacks credibility and slows the film.
Eventually, Seth discovers some sinister things about the firm, and is forced to make some tough decisions about how to get out of the mess he's in. This part of the movie, with shades of The Firm and other such films, is fairly pedestrian, but the action that precedes it marks the movie as unique. Director Ben Younger pulls you into this world in flawless fashion, making you feel the thrill of the sales kill. He also demonstrates the childlike rivalry between the stockbrokers, many of whom toss racial epithets and put-downs back and forth with no remorse. Of the brokers, Vin Diesel registers particularly strongly as Chris, a senior employee who take Seth under his wing. His performance suggests he may be an acting force to reckon with in the future.
Boiler Room is a smart, well-acted film that's entertaining and thought-provoking - an impressive debut for first-time director Younger.
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There are a few party and bar scenes that may spur you to tip up the bottle, not to mention some male bonding/rivalry. But it's too somber to really be a great drinking movie.
Good film, Ben Affleck, a splash of romance. You could do much worse.
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