A Hot Cast and Director Head into the "Boiler Room"

2-25-00

It was Valentine's Day, but there was more greed than love in the air coming out of a room in the Regency Hotel. Cast members Nicky Katt, Jamie Kennedy, Giovanni Ribisi, and Tom Everett Scott and first-time filmmaker Ben Younger discussed their film, "Boiler Room," which goes a step beyond Michael Douglas' "greed is good" line in "Wall Street." The film's title comes from a term associated with brokers scamming customers out of their money from fly-by-night offices. The actors seemed much more at ease off screen than their film counterparts. On screen they portray brokers at the brokerage firm of J.T. Marlin which make millions for their employees by leaving their customers broke. Kennedy spent most of the time joking around with Katt, impersonating actors he's worked with, including "Three King's" Ice Cube, while Ribisi joked with Scott by impersonating Jim Carrey's "Ace Ventura." "I think we were all wanting to make a movie, and we used that to our advantage. There's a certain trust you have to establish as an actor and with your other cast members," said Ribisi, who wore a wool black hat, brown jacket, and beard stubble and joked around with co-star Scott.Ribisi portrays the film's lead, Seth Davis, a college drop out who is sucked into the brokerage life. He goes from a misguided teen running an illegal casino in his apartment to convincing customers to buy stocks by telling them about supposed "hot" deals. "Part of the challenge," he said, "was making his character "change into somebody he doesn't recognize."Ribisi said he spoke with brokers who had worked in similar boiler rooms to prepare for the role. He also practiced pitching lines, sometimes taking a 12 hour work day just to get one line right. Some of the lines repeated by Ribisi and his cast were a "cold-call," a term given to an initial call made by the firm to draw in a customer whom they have never met or spoken to, "pitch the bitch," lingo used for brokers not to sell to women, and "ABC," meaning "always be closing," which comes from the film, "Glengarry Glen Ross."Kennedy, who seemed tired from his heavy film workload, said the termenology used in the film gives off a "'Goodfellas' feel" in that it has "its own language."Commenting on Katt's character, who uses material things rather than brokerage "language" to draw in Davis as the Ferrari Driving/Armani styling Greg, Kennedy said, "He's a real scumbucket. He just lures Giovani's character in and he's nice and he catches him with a lot of...like...sugar, and then he just turns to vinegar."Bewildered at the "food metaphor," Katt, now with a bleach blond hairdo, said Kennedy's character, Adam, also adds to the bitter taste in Davis' mouth. He said, "He sort of acts as a catalyst." Adding to the greed factor of the film is Scott, who co-stars as Michael, the firms' 20+ year old leader. The actor, dressed in a black blazer and pants, has been compared to Tom Hanks since he starred along with Ribisi in the star's directorial debut "That Thing You Do." "I don't mind playing the ones that are close to home, because you're always doing something new and different. You always have to challenge yourself," said Scott, who will next play a stalking boyfriend in "Stalk," co-Gretchen Moll.In terms of the get rich quick scheme in the film, Scott added, "Great amounts of money is such a funny thing. Kids come out and start these internet companies, and have stocks, and you don't even know why they're going up so high. They're not really making money or making a product." Scott added, with the recent string of game shows giving away millions, "you have to make a millon to even say you're successful."

The Younger and the Restless

The 27 year old Brooklyn native Younger, wore a bluish purple Polo pull over with an orange shirt, tan khakis, and glasses, said being recruited seven years ago by similar boiler room recruiters, and having friends in the "business" inspired him to write his first screenplay, and direct it.Ribisi said he was drawn to the script "the story was something he's worked on for a long time. He's been around films long enough to know what he's doing, and he's very good with actors. He doesn't beat around the bush, and I mean it as a complement, he has the confidence to do that."Younger filmed without rehearsals for "Boiler Room." He said he had a lot of control over the film, which he "shot from the hip," and did not have any studio honchos "breathing down his neck" during the filming. Younger said the most difficult scene to film was not "a page out of" his life. He said writing and directing the scenes between Ribisi and Rifkin's characters were the most difficult scenes of the film. "It's easy to have guys in a room screaming, its harder for a son looking for his father's approval."Younger said it was never his intention to "steal" aspects of "Glengarry Glen Ross" or "Wall Street." He said any similarities to both films, such as Affleck's role being similar to Alec Baldwin's jawdroppingly good cameo in "Glengarry," is paying homage. He said the role of Affleck is real, he said, "They really do it. It's what these guys really do. I know a bunch of people who used to recruit, and they wanted to be Alec Baldwin."Younger said he never aspired to be a filmmaker. He said he was not "one of the kids with a camera in his hand" growing up, like "Spielberg." While he was a student at CUNY, where he studied political science, he worked as a stand up comedian. He moved from punchlines to politics when he became an intern as a legislative aid for then-state Assemblyman Alan Hevesi. He also served as a senior policy analyst for Hevesi when he became Comptroller of NYC. After politics, Younger ventured into filmmaking. While working as a grip on feature films and videos, he said he figured out the tricks of the trade, and "loved being on the set." Younger wrote and directed a short film "L & M" prior to making his first feature film. His next film will be on the lighter side---- a Woody Allenesque romantic comedy, entitled "Prime."

In the "Boiler Room ,"everyone wants to be a millionaire"

There is no Regis Philbin in sight, but "Boiler Room," the first truly entertaining film released in 2000, continues the trend of getting rich quick. The film tells the story of a sleazy brokerage firm that makes millionaires out of young men, while at the same time, destroys the bank accounts of their customers.The film focuses on Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi), a 19 year old college drop-out who is recruited by the firm of J.T. Marlin, a firm that cons its customers out of their money. After running a successful gambling casino out of his Queens apartment, Davis then joins the firm in order to get rich quick and earn the respect of his disapproving and disapointed father (Ron Rifkin). Dressed for success in a suit and tie each business day, Davis works his way up the sleazy corporate ladder of J.T. Marlin finding out how they run their business. He soon realizes the richer he gets, the poorer his customers get. First time writer and director Ben Younger puts the moviegoer inside the boiler rooms, by incorporating broker jargon and code words into a script filled with witty dialogue. He also brings the moviegoers inside the lives of the brokers, who do not know what to do with their millions except blow them on on fancy cars, suits, and restaurants. Younger also brings the audience into the lives of the firm's customers, who are promised a good thing--but in some cases end up penniless. Younger also tributes two films it closely resembles. Both "Wall Street" and "Glengarry" are referenced into the film in effective ways. In addition, his direction matches the intensity of his script. Aside from dialogue, the cast is right on the money. Ribisi, typically known as a Gen X stoner from his roles on "The Mod Squad" and TV's "Friends," matures in the best role of his young career by believably transforming himself from a young man running a casino out of his apartment to a wealthy suited broker. He also shows beneath his character lays a sad child who longs for his father's approval. As Ribisi's character's father, Marty Davis, Rifkin could be an early favorite for a supporting actor Oscar nod next year. He portrays his character as a disaproving father who, despite loving his son, would rather cut him off from the family than watch him throw his life away.In smaller but no less significant roles, Vin Diesel shines as Chris, another boiler boy with traces of a bigger heart than his colleagues; Taylor Nichols is heartbreaking as a victim of the firm, and Katt as Greg perfects being the ultimate bastard. He also shows the different sides of his character. On one hand, Katt shows Greg has confidence when he cons Davis into joining the firm, but on other he shows vulnerability by being threatened by Davis when he becomes successful and starts to date his ex-girlfriend, the firms' secretary, Abby, played convincingly by Nia Long. In addition to those fine performances, Ben Affleck, in an extended cameo, hilariously portrays the head recruiter, Jim Young. His homage to Alec Baldwin's scene-stealing turn in "Glengarry" is riveting."Boiler Room" features a priceless cast and script, and stands as the best film to come out of the horrid heap of the films released in the past two months, and yes, that's my final answer.

Grade: B+