Review of Boiler Room (2000) by Bob V — 10 Oct 2007

Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi) runs a small casino, out of his apartment, giving all the local kids a place to have fun, and of course, lose a lot of their money.

Seth makes a pretty good living and the work doesn't bother him, but something does. His father (Ron Rifkin) is a New York Judge and obviously doesn't approve of his own son running an illegal gambling business. Now Seth just wants to make his dad happy so when an old friend drops by offering him a chance at a wealthy respectable job he can't turn it down.

This is when the film gets into the fast paced plot.

Jim Young (Ben Affleck) comes into a room filled with young money hungry men and simply adds to their appetite. He fills them with promises of millions. Instant success he is pushing and to achieve it all you have to do is work here. Pass your test and you have it made.

Seth wants to know how they can get so much money and he starts to uncover the corrupt business he is working at. He discovers how they make their money, who is in on it, and how they get away with it.

Boiler Room is fast paced with incredible scenes of a crazy floor of young brokers screaming to make their sales and get a big "rip", or commission. First time director/writer Ben Younger obviously pays homage to other films of this nature, being "Glengarry Glen Ross" and "Wall Street", but he does so with taste and style.

With a top notch cast and a great style of directing, "Boiler Room" delivers in many ways!