Boiler Room

December 11, 2004

Rated: R Runtime: 110 min Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

DVD QuickTake

Personally, I would give this movie 3 stars. I missed it in the theaters and didn’t know much about it, and knew nothing about Giovanni Ribisi who plays the main character. Heck, when I saw him in the movie I thought for sure he was Lars Ulrich, until I heard him form a complete sentence that is.

This is a good male bonding movie. Never mind that these guys make their money by swindling people and work for a disreputable brokerage firm, J.T. Marlin, it’s enjoyable watching some of the male camaraderie. And seeing brokers who talk tough because they work for Salomon Smith Barney is great, especially after they get liquored up and want to pick a fight.

I have to agree with John the ending is a disappointment but unfortunately, while there is an alternate ending included on the DVD it’s not any better. This movie oozes testosterone, which is fitting because somewhere I read that stock brokers, like others in very competitive jobs, tend to have higher amounts of the sacred hormone than say, guys who watch PBS all the time. It’s commendable that the movie accomplishes this with such low scores as evidenced by the Vital Stats.

- Steve

Movies For Guys’ Original Review of the Theatrical Release

I really wanted to give this movie 3 stars, but upon reflection I just can’t do it. Honestly, its the ending that hurts this movie more than anything else, it just feels incomplete. It’s almost like the director didn’t know where he should end the movie so he just picked a spot at random. This results in lots of unanswered questions and a lack of closure, something I really despise in a movie that will obviously never have a sequel.

Boiler Room I really wanted to give this movie 3 stars, but upon reflection I just can’t do it. Honestly, its the ending that hurts this movie more than anything else, it just feels incomplete. It’s almost like the director didn’t know where he should end the movie so he just picked a spot at random. This results in lots of unanswered questions and a lack of closure, something I really despise in a movie that will obviously never have a sequel.

Everything leading up to the ending is pretty good though with some fine performances turned in by the entire cast. The movie deals with a somewhat shady brokerage house that likes to hire promising young men and train them to be stock brokers, and this ain’t Schwab folks. We’re talking about extreme high pressure sales tactics, and it’s a trip to watch them work.

We’ve all taken sales calls that we wanted to get out of but just couldn’t quite get off the phone. If this movie teaches you anything it should be that it’s OK to hang up on a sales weasel. Hell, I just use my Caller ID and don’t take the calls.

The movie is definitely worth seeing, but you’d be better off waiting for it to come out on DVD. Maybe there’s a directors cut with a better ending on the way…

Posted by John | Filed Under 2 Stars, DVD, Drama, Giovanni Ribisi, Jamie Kennedy, Nia Long, R, Ron Rifkin, Vin Diesel