Boiler Room generates little heat in the greedy-business genre.

Never a dull moment, but the ending needed work

Young single men in their early twenties plus a lot of money equals, in the first two-thirds of the movie, one of the highest testosterone quotients in the history of the cinema. This is "Maxim" come to life. This is why most of us don't want to work anywhere near the sales staff ... anywhere. Even Nia Long has balls in this movie. I think this must come close to "The Blair Witch Project" for most on-screen uses of the F word, and once you factor in all the other dirty words it makes the profanity of its subject matter joyously palpable. There are some truly great scenes here - the "Rocky Horror"-izing of "Wall Street has been noted in these reviews, and it's great. But my favorite that no one's noted (I had to hit the pause button to laugh for a minute or two) was Ribisi's response to getting telemarketed by the Daily News. I'm going to keep that in mind for the next telemarketing call I get. I never thought of that approach to this all too common modern annoyance which, I freely admit, I have been on the giving end of. Younger has a great eye for framing his scenes and I like the look he gave the film, a real feel for his Long Island and NYC locations. I do admit there are some problems with the plot ... I get the feeling the movie was trimmed a bit to keep it under two hours for that one extra daily screening, and as a result some of the plot elements come across a bit haphazardly, such as the FBI investigation and Ribisi's relationship with Long.At the same time there's no need for the subplot with the guy who loses his life's savings ... why show all those bits? They get a little pedantic. The scenes with his dad work better because of Ron Rifkin's no-nonsense portrayal, but the last one seems forced, and I'm still waiting for a real end to the whole movie. But overall I recommend it with the caveats that there's a lot of grimly authentic male behavior in this movie, including crudeness, violence and lots of swearing.

Serviceable Thriller

Diverting, but otherwise routine thriller set in the fast-paced world of the stock market. Although most of the characters are morally bankrupt, fortunately the film has a clear moral center. This saves the film from being trash. The relationships between the guys are good, but the romantic subplot involving Ribisi and Long lacks chemistry. Ben Affleck is good in what is essentially a supporting role.

And best of all kids, I am liquid

Boiler Room owes a tremendous debt to Wall Sreet and Glengarry Glen Ross. It doesn't try to hide it--it's shameless. Jim Young (Ben Affleck) even quotes directly from the Alec Baldwin sales meeting: "ABC = Always Be Closing." There is even a scene where the young stockbrokers get together and watch Wall Street, quoting the dialogue verbatim, like some kind of twisted Rocky Horror Picture Show cult. But where the average person sees both movies as a cautionary tale about greed and the foolishness of trusting a salesperson to tell the truth, the boys of the Boiler Room take it as gospel. They are all Gordon Gecko wannabes, and they will Always Be Closing. ---------------Jim Young: You Want details? Fine. I drive a Ferrari, 355 Cabriolet, What's up? I have a ridiculous house in the South Fork. I have every toy you could possibly imagine. And best of all kids, I am liquid.========================Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi) is smart but he drops out of college. He runs a successful off campus casino, but his father (Ron Rifkin), a federal judge, is none too pleased. Seth figures that the odds of him getting pinched are pretty high, so he takes a client's suggestion and applies at a stockbroker's for a position as an intern. He learns quick, and is soon a rising star of the firm, J.T. Marlon. ------------------Man on phone: Take me off your list. Seth Davis: Fine, fine. I'm gonna take you off my list of successful people today. ===========================Seeing a lot more potential in him than the rest of the yahoos, Chris (Vin Deisel) and Greg (Nicky Katt) show him the ropes. At least until Greg begins to get jealous of Seth's flirtations with the firm's secretary, Abby (Nia Long). Soon Seth passes his Series 7, and he's on his way. The philosophy of his company is ruthless and macho. Feelings are frowned upon, and the only thing that matters is closing the sale.--------------- Jim Young: And there is no such thing as a no sale call. A sale is made on every call you make. Either you sell the client some stock or he sells you a reason he can't. Either way a sale is made, the only question is who is gonna close? You or him? Now be relentless, that's it, I'm done.=========================Giovanni Ribisi gives an excellent performance, as he perfects his sales techniques, he is also figuring out just exactly what is going on, how they are making the money. Usually Giovanni is more of a supporting actor, a character actor, but here he is the lead, and he really carries it well. He is driven to make money, but deeper than that, he wants to win his father's approval, and sees money as the means to that end. Abby is also driven to make money, but she is supporting her sick mother, and sees no other way than turning a blind eye to the suspect and shady practices of J.T. Marlon. The interaction between the two is very well played. -----------------Seth Davis: What do you mean, you're gonna pass. Alan, the only people making money passing are NFL quarterbacks and I don't see a number on your back.=========================Time for more lessons from motivational speaker, Jim Young:-------------------Jim Young: There's an important phrase that we use here, and think it's time that you all learned it. Act as if. You understand what that means?=============================Seth understands only too well the lessons of Jim Young. Throughout Boiler Room very good use is made of a rap soundtrack that really underscores Seth's attitude well. As he learns just how crooked the firm he works for is, and sees the destruction that they leave in their wake, he yearns for his old casino, where he at least provided a service that his customers wanted. He compares his current job to a crack dealer, and wonders, which is worse? -------------Seth Davis: The Notorious BIG 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.========================Boiler Room takes what could be very boring--selling stocks over the phone--and makes a very exciting movie out of it. It feeds you enough information so you understand what is at stake, but it doesn't bog down with too much exposition. It paints a vivid picture of a world that is both fascinating and repellent. Amid all the moral ambiguity and decadence there are genuine human feelings, and you feel connected with what the characters are going through, especially with Giovanni Ribisi as Seth and Nia Long as Abby. It is a perfect blend of testosterone, finance, and emotions.-------------------------Seth Davis: I had a very strong work ethic. The problem was my ethics in work.===================================== He's Just Not That Into You [Theatrical Release](2009) .... Ben Affleck was Neil ... aka Er steht einfach nicht auf Dich! (Germany) Masked and Anonymous (2003) .... Giovanni Ribisi was Soldier Stigmata (1999) .... Nia Long was Donna ChadwaySaving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition) (1998) .... Giovanni Ribisi was T-4 Medic Irwin Wade & Vin Diesel was Pvt. Adrian Caparzo Lost Highway (1997) .... Giovanni Ribisi was Steve 'V' Chasing Amy - Criterion Collection (1997) .... Ben Affleck was Holden McNeilDazed & Confused (Widescreen Flashback Edition) (1993) .... Nicky Katt was Clint BrunoGlengarry Glen Ross (1992) They take Alec Baldwin's sales speech as gospel, ABC = Always Be ClosingJFK - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition) (1991) .... Ron Rifkin was Mr. Goldberg/Spiesel (credited on Director's Cut) *Kevin Bacon was in JFKWall Street (1987) The young stockbrokers of Boiler Room are Gordon Gecko wannabes -------------------- Seth Davis: It's strange to think how that knock changed everything, everything, hey don't get me wrong here, I don't believe in fate, I believe in odds. ===================================

Interesante retrato del estado al que ha llegado el sistema político conocido como capitalismo

Fast delivery, but the package was a little beat up

This review is from: Boiler Room (DVD) Fast delivery, but the package was a little beat up. Probably due to delivery and not the sender though.

Boiler Room is a poor investment of time.

It's Wall Street All Over Again...

This movie gives you the chills, it reminds you of the all-time classic"Wall-Street" with Bud Fox & Gordon Gecko. Only this time it is played bySeth Davis as Bud Fox. Boiler Room has an all-star cast with GiovanniRibisi, Vin Diesel, Nia Long, & Ben Affleck... If you haven't seen thisfilm, you are missing out, it is unforgettable and it is one of thosekeeperDVD's to have in your collection. Take Care - Chad Castorina

In the World of Business, ANYTHING Goes... (4.5 stars)

Seth Davis is a college drop-out with no direction. His father despises him for all of the goof-ups he's made in his life (not to mention he isn't a very happy camper when he finds out about Seth's illegal card game operation). Seth is willing to do just about anything to win back his father's approval and love. And that's when he's dragged into the business world and is recruited to a small stock brokerage firm. In very little time, he learns the ropes and is able to make sales without hesitation. The only problem is there's a good chance that the firm he's working for is much, MUCH more illegal than any small-time card operation. Seth's about to get a wake-up call from the business world, and it's not going to be a pretty sight.Having a very big "Wall Street" and "Glengarry Glen Ross" feel and influence to it, "Boiler Room" is an exciting and chilling look into the "survival of the fittest" rule when it comes to business. It still is successful at being its own movie. There's a great story behind it all that is very believable and very convincing. You don't have to know the business lingo to understand what takes place in the film. While it's a complex story and plot, it's still clear to us exactly what's going on and what's happening.The film has some really good acting in it. Giovanni Ribisi is perfect when it comes to playing Seth (he has a very childish and innocent look to him, which makes it easier for us to sympathize with him). Vin Diesel is pretty good in the movie as well. Nia Long is great as Seth's love interest and never misses a beat. Everybody else in the movie is great as well. The film has great direction and a solid story to back it up.The DVD has some pretty neat features. The picture and sound quality is terrific. Special features included are deleted scenes/alternate ending, commentary, isolated score with composer commentary, the original theatrical trailer, and some neat DVD-ROM features to add to the mix."Boiler Room" is a great movie about the ruthless business world. Even though this is fiction, this is something you can see happening anywhere. If you like "Wall Street" or "Glengarry Glen Ross," then I highly recommend this movie. A movie that succeeds on every front.

Boiling Hot?

This movie was packed full of action and suspense - but not in your usual, run-of-the-mill way. It has to do with the Stock Market. I'm kind of young, so I had to watch it about three or four times to finally understand all of it, and I still don't get everything about those stupid rips, but I have it down pretty good. It was awesome. Seth Davis is played by Giovanni Ribisi, who is a very under-rated actor, and he plays his role perfectly. He manages to pull off that little helpless I'm-a-boy-who-messes-up-a-lot persona really well, and Ben Affleck, though I don't like him, was really superb in his small role. I also clap for the fact that they had an interracial couple in the movie - especially one so cute together.The reason I rated this four and not five is because of two things: though I love my Vin Diesel, he cannot pull off a stock market guy in a business suit (which I think was the whole point, but still, either way he pulls it off really, really bad). And also, it's a bit boring for those who don't have the patience to sit through it.

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the boiler room...

My sister often rants and raves about the greatness of this movie when I'm around her. Her obvious bias to the hotness that is Vin Diesel clearly distorts her opinion of this movie, but I must say that after actually giving it a try, there are moments in this movie that work extremely well, and when it's all said and done it's actually a pretty decent movie.The film revolves around college dropout Seth Davis who is constantly trying to get out from under his fathers disapproval. Dropping out of college and running and illegal casino out of his apartment isn't the right way to go about earning his affections, but Seth doesn't seem to understand that. When a chance meeting with stock broker Greg Weinstein gets Seth's appetite wet for the big bucks to be had with this legit line of work he decides that this may be just what he needs to get his father to forgive him, and be proud of him. It appears that Seth has a knack for this business. Before long he's become a selling machine and is on his way to making his first million. But then he notices something that's just not right, and after doing a little digging he realizes that this legit gig may not be all that legit after all.Giovanni Ribisi is one of those actors I really wish would break out in a huge way. I've always really liked him, and I feel that given the right role he could land in awards territory. His performance here is strong; in fact it would be golden if it weren't muddled by some poorly scripted areas. Scenes where he's `selling' are flawless; yet when he's interacting with his father it becomes a little sappy and overly clichéd. His big `crying' scene comes off forced and it just takes away from the film in my opinion. It's in stark contrast to the `relationship' scene at the diner, which is in my opinion one of the best scenes in the film; go figure. Vin Diesel soars here. His performance as Chris Varick, the broker who takes Seth under his wing, is remarkably flawless. Nia Long is beautiful and graceful yet sorely underused here. I with they would have given her something more to do. Ron Rifkin is believable as Seth's domineering father even if I never could begin to `like' his character. And I'll just say it now; I thought Ben Affleck was the worst thing about this movie.What makes `Boiler Room' so poignant is that is exposes the way that greed can ravage anyone. It's not the type of film you expect to be deep or meaningful but when the credits start to roll you realize that this movie represents a growing problem in Corporate-America. The careless and apathetic attitude of most all the characters is sadly not exaggerated. As much as you want to just slap these characters upside the head for their selfish and horrendous actions you can't help but see a little bit of them inside yourself. What we also get to see is that no one is as innocent as they appear to be. Even if one is morally just it doesn't make them ethically just. Look at the comparisons between Seth and his father. Seth may not do everything up to the high moral code his father follows but he appears to have a genuine care for other people whereas his father, self-righteous and on his high horse uses that moral ruler as an iron fist that crushes his relationship ("what relationship?") with his son.In the end I enjoyed `Boiler Room'. It's not brilliant and it is predictable, but it works for the most part. It could have been tweaked a bit, but what movie couldn't use a little tweaking? Watch it to see Diesel out perform his co-stars and prove he's more than one big muscle and watch it to see the unwavering potential hidden behind Giovanni Ribisi's stutter. It's not as powerful as `Wall Street' but it doesn't need to be.

I was entertained throughout this film and thoroughly enjoyed the open references to the former films.

Visit this Room

Reciting lines from "Wall Street" hasn't been funnier. A group of phony stock brokers make their first million in three years according to Jim Young (Ben Affleck). In a tutorial on becoming a successful stock broker, you must have no heart or soul. Sell, sell, sell is the bottom line. Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi) was the new kid on the block and exposed the truth behind the boiler room. Vin Diesel was cussing again and it was hilarious. Don't accept calls from salespeople, they truly are evil.

Boiler Room (2000)

Director: Ben YoungerCast: Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Nia Long, Nicky Katt, Scott Caan, Ron Rifkin, Jamie Kennedy, Taylor Nichols, Bill Sage, Tom Everett Scott, Ben Affleck.Running Time: 118 minutesRated R for strong language and some drug content.Despite being a college drop out, Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi) gets a job as a broker for a small investment firm JT Marlin. With promises of his first million within three years, Seth gets into the high tension and fast paced world of the boiler room, the salesroom floor where he begins as a trainee. He gradually grows within the organization and starts seeing the beautiful receptionist Abbie (Nia Long) despite the fact that she used to be with his new boss. Everything seems to be going his way; however the deeper he goes, Seth begins to suspect that it can't all be as good as it looks and is unlikely to be as legal as he had been told it was. It might be the fact that the film actually name checks "Glengary Glen Ross" and "Wall Street", but at times this feels that, like its characters, that it has watched these films too many times and has simply added a touch of "Goodfellas" to it to produce "Boiler Room"; however, this is actually a bit unfair because the film has just about enough of its own to stand out as rather an enjoyable and interesting look at the ethics of certain sections of the business world. The narrative is strong enough to keep things moving forward despite the weaknesses asYounger does well to recreate the testosterone-fuelled world where money is the only thing that matters and it tends to be this energy that drives the film where subplots on relationships struggle.The cast are a great help, featuring generally good performances despite the odd weak bit. Ribisi is the heart of the film and, although he doesn't totally convince in his narration he is a good lead, taking well to his character. Diesel usually strikes fear deep into hearts with his assumed hunky machismo, but here he is actually pretty good as is the sensitive Katt. Long is a good actress and great looking but this is not the best role she has had; she delivers it the best she can but the story uses her as a device at best, Caan is decent, and Rifkin has a simple task to deliver. The only bum note was Ben Affleck, whose dialogue comes off as a copy of better films was obviously done much better by Alec Baldwin in "Glengary Glen Ross". Overall, there are certainly better films, but this has the energy to appeal to a younger audience that will likely enjoy it.

Worth a look

I very much enjoyed this movie. However, I have a particular interest in the market, and this may have clouded my judgement a little. It is a very dark movie, and will keep you on your toes. I could see why some didn't like the movie, but fans of heavy, cerebral movies (fight club...) should enjoy this.

Suave, Sleek, and Superb

An amazing cast headed up by Giovani Ribisi make Boiler Room a must seeforanyone who was a fan of "Wall Street", or anyone a fan of money for thatmatter. Ben Affleck was great and made the most of his semi-cameo role asarecruitor, but it was Vin Diesal(Saving Private Ryan, Blackout) who stolealmost every scene that he was in. While there are a few faults, themoviemoves ahead and as a whole is an entertaining way to spend 2 hours and 8bucks.

Good movies

I bought this movie for my husband a few Christmas ago thinking he liked this movie. But he never saw this movie before. I played it for us and we both found something better to do. Now here we are a few years later. I played it last night and my husbands eyes were stuck to the tv. He enjoyed this movie. Since I went to sleep because of work this morning I didn't get to finish the movie last night. So after work I played Boiler Room and I enjoyed it. We both should have gave it a change when I bought it years ago.

Excellent portrayal of a complex father/son relationship

I really enjoyed this movie, as I once worked for a broker that handledmostly blue chip & institutional stocks. There were a couple of crookedbrokers who came and left and I'll always remember an anguished broker'scry, "You can't sell him out, his stocks are worthless. I mostly enjoyed the interaction between the father and son. The pace ofthe movie was fast and believable with a good cast. Ben Affleck was good asthe evil manager. He took a note from Alec Baldwin in "Glengarry Glen Ross."Great dialogue, good story, good acting. What's not to like?

A little bit of "Wall Street", and a really good movie

Have you seen "Wall Street"? As a masterpiece from the eighties, Ididn't ever consider a movie like that being made again. Just face it,there aren't many movies in it's genre, because it's a really smallone. But then, "Boiler Room" came across. It's far from the same movieas Wall Street, but there are many similarities between the two ofthem. There are even a great reference to "Wall Street" here, were VinDiesel's character repeats a monologue by "Wall Streets" Gordon Geckoby heart. But enough about "Wall Street". Now over to this movie. Thestory is great, and a really interesting one. It's also reallythrilling. The actors also do a really god job, especially thesuperiors in the firm with their nazi-sort of leadership. Even BenAffleck delivers the goods, I must say that his performance in therookie-talk early in the movie was really a great one, despite whatsome other people say. Ribisi is not well known, but I think he was agood choice for the looser-kind of a rookie that was the lead in thisfilm.

Best Movie Ever

This is the greatest movie ever made, nothing compares!!! It is a must see. I give it 4+ stars. If you like gambling, and fun, this is a movie for you!!