Boiler Room

Impressions before seeing it
Didn't really know anything except that I generally dislike Vin Diesel.

How was it?
For some reason I thought it was going to be a heist movie, but I'm glad it wasn't because that would have interested me a lot less. Instead it's about a bunch of pushy salesmen (i.e. con men) trying to sell stock market shares to schmucks. That alone interested me and was enough for the movie, but they had to throw in this other story about Giovanni Ribisi's character being desperate for his father's approval, which I wasn't really a fan of. I mean I can understand what it might be like having a strict parent who is hard to please, and what it would be like to want someone's respect so badly, but it just seems so...weak. I'm not saying that to love or to want love is weak, but this guy is trying so hard to do what his dad wants that it's like he's not living his own life and can't think for himself.

So that is my one gripe, but I did enjoy this movie. It was interesting (and maybe a little infuriating) watching how these guys manipulated every customer into saying yes to them. Ben Affleck appeared to give the trainees some inspiring speeches (I don't care what anyone says, he has been in some flops but he's not a bad actor) and Vin Diesel gave an adequate performance after all - most likely the best of his career.

Recommendation
Boiler Room is an enjoyable salesman movie... that's about it.