The Steam from Boiler Room
Just a Lot of Hot Air

It's been over a decade since Michael Douglas taught the world that "Greed, for the lack of a better word, is good." Of course, Wall Street had come at the height of the Decade of Greed, when junk bonds, insider trading, and corporate takeovers were fashionable. Now, in a time of unparalleled economic prosperity, writer/director Ben Younger wants to remind us that greed is still alive and well in the brokerage houses, and the brokers are just as desperate for a quick buck.

Everyone, at some time or another, has wondered what it would be like to make a quick million and then escape to enjoy life. For that reason, movies about movers and shakers (especially those on the skating thin edge of the law) will always draw a crowd. I find them interesting, because I wonder what motivates people more, the money or the power it brings. Watching Giovanni Ribisi (The Other Sister) was refreshing because his character Seth started selling stock to gain the acceptance of his father.

Having dropped out of college, Seth Davis has been paying his rent by running a blackjack casino out of his house. While one wants to applaud such entrepreneurship, his father (Ron Rifkin) is more than a little upset because it's illegal and he is a judge. Fortunately, fate leads Seth away from one illegal venture and into the world of stock brokering.

While Ribisi does a good job as Seth, it is Ben Affleck who has received the top billing. Undoubtedly, Affleck is the bigger star, but his contribution to the film is so small I don't even know if it can be considered a supporting role. If you're going to see Affleck, you'll be disappointed. If you're going to see Ribisi, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by his best performance since Saving Private Ryan.

On the down side, the story of Boiler Room tries to cover too many bases. If it had stuck to the story of greed and personal downfall, it would have been called a Wall Street ripoff (it still may). Nevertheless, the effort of the filmmaker to branch out with side stories about Seth's clients and his relationship with his stern father does more harm than good. The side stories are ultimately nothing more than a distraction.

In short, Boiler Room doesn't offer anything we haven't seen before. As a movie about the evils of stock brokers, it's fair. There are one or two genuinely interesting moments, but the characters (with the exception of Seth) are two-dimensional. The story builds too slowly and ends too abruptly. Just when I was getting interested, it was over.

MY RATING: 4 out of 10.

RATED: R
RUN TIME: 120 min.