2000, R, 120 minutes

It's nearly impossible to define what it is that makes the difference between an homage and a cheap rip-off. Some people insist on burring any movie that dares to tread on the same ground as another movie they've already seen, but I'm not one of them. While I'm sure a number of similarities can be drawn between Boiler Room and it's highly successful predecessor Wall Street (which was released 13 years before it), it is by no stretch of the imagination a mere carbon-copy. Boiler Room covers plenty of new territory and if anyone says otherwise, tell them to go watch Wall Street again because apparently they don't remember it.

The story follows a college-age kid named Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi), who dropped out of school and started running a small card-club/casino from his apartment. After enduring pressure from his disapproving father (Ron Rifkin), Seth takes on a job as a trainee at a small stock-brokerage firm called J.T. Marlin. The entire group is composed of young men in their twenties, and all of them are making piles of money and driving around in fancy cars. Faster than you can say "sell," Seth becomes one of them -- quickly on his way to becoming a millionaire. However, after a few suspicious incidents, he starts wondering what goes on behind the scenes at J.T. Marlin, and he discovers a lot more than he had anticipated.

If this film had been trying to tell a Wall Street-esque type of story, it would have failed miserably -- but fortunately it didn't. Basically what these stockbrokers do is call people up on the phone and try to get them to invest as much money as possible without even thinking about the risk involved (which is quite substantial at J.T. Marlin). The techniques and tricks that are used over the phone are fascinating to watch, and it's easy to understand how so many innocent people manage to get suckered in. Another aspect of this film I enjoyed was that it never led to spectacular car chases or life-threatening situations; it always remained adult and businesslike. When you break the law on Wall Street, you take the risk of going to prison, not having someone discover your body in alleyway dumpster.

Before seeing Boiler Room, I wasn't sure if Giovanni Ribisi would be able to carry a movie on his own. I knew he was a good actor after seeing him in Saving Private Ryan and a few appearances on Friends, but this film will certainly be a big step in his career. Ribisi handles his character perfectly, showing us a wide range of emotions. Perhaps the most convincing part of his performance is the transformation he undergoes at work. During his first week at the office he looks more insecure than a lost puppy, but eventually he turns into a smooth-talking, deceptive, full-out stockbroker. Vin Diesel is also very good, playing the kind of character who is either a complete jerk or a pretty nice guy, depending on the situation. Nia Long's character doesn't get to do very much, but she makes the best of it considering. Ben Affleck only has about twenty minutes of screen-time, but he definitely doesn't waste it. Playing the role of the company's obnoxious and in-your-face recruiter, he gives a pretty good performance, although I'm sure his critics will hate it.

I recommend Boiler Room to moviegoers who can enjoy a thriller that doesn't rely on big explosions and corny dialogue (not to say that there isn't some). If you're a big fan of Wall Street -- the movie or the market -- you'll probably get a real kick out of this film; just make sure you don't hold your breath waiting for a Gordon Gecko to turn up at the office.