Boiler Room (2000)

Back in the old days what Giovanni Ribisi went to work at was euphemistically termed a 'bucket shop' and the practice of holding onto profits and never really paying except in select instances was referred to as 'bucketing'. The regulations put in during the New Deal curbed them somewhat, but the deregulation that occurred during the Reagan Years put operations like these back in business. That and telemarketing did the rest.

Our protagonist in this film is Giovanni Ribisi who's a kid that I can somewhat identify with, one who can't seem to please his rather stern father, Ron Rifkin, who also happens to be a federal judge. He'd like for Ribisi to get into traditional professions like law or medicine, but Ribisi is a child of his era and is on the lookout for a quick buck. That he gets from his current endeavor which is running a small casino out of his apartment. Though illegal Ribisi runs it honestly, but that fact makes no never mind to Rifkin.

One of his steady patrons, Nicky Katt, interests him in going to work at his brokerage house which is not located in the heart of Wall Street, but out on Long Island.

Gordon Gekko would be proud of this bunch, trained by Ben Affleck who lives the Gekko creed from Wall Street of 'greed is good'. But this crowd could never get in Michael Douglas's front door, remember what a hard time Charlie Sheen had in Wall Street. You've got your list of prospects, aka suckers, and you get on the phone and sell, Sell, SELL, but only what you want sold in a given period. The activity drives up the price and then it deflates, but not before the broker gives out. On Wall Street, it's called 'kiting' a stock.

Michael Douglas's Gordon Gekko takes us to the rarefied world of big time Wall Street corruption. These guys are the minor leagues of the same sport. Ribisi as he soon finds out was living more honorably as a casino entrepreneur. But he can't get out mainly because dad seems to have somewhat changed his attitude. And Rifkin's respect is all he wants.

Boiler Room works best during the scenes with Rifkin and Ribisi, their up and down relationship is the key to the whole film. Other performances to watch out for are Nia Long as the secretary clearing $80,000.00 a year because of her insider information, Vin Diesel as a cheery hedonistic sort of bucketeer, and Nicky Katt is a more intense variety of the same breed.

The one to really watch out for is Ben Affleck. It's a small part, but Affleck does wonders with it. Now this is a man who could really have made it Gekko's world and wouldn't have had the trouble that Charlie Sheen had crashing it or the conscience pangs after he discovers what it's all about. Affleck should have gotten Oscar consideration in the Supporting Actor category.

In fact the whole film is sadly overlooked, don't miss it if it is ever broadcast.