Highly Overrated But Still Good

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Muddled, episodic rendering of Benjamin Stein's book "Ludes" stars James Woods as a tax shelters salesman from New York City who is brought to Hollywood along with wife Sean Young by a wealthy business contact; soon, the couple are spending lavishly and doing coke-lines on the coffee table. Cheap-looking, poorly-edited film rests almost entirely on Woods' performance to carry it...but he fails to give his hyperactive nebbish-turned-jet-setter the proper nuances (to say the least). Supporting cast (including Amanda Blake, Grace Zabriskie, and Steven Hill in a lovely turn as James' sympathetic boss and benefactor) easily out-acts the mannered leads. *1/2 from ****

SPOILERS THROUGHOUT POST: I saw This film shortly after it came out, have watched it more then once and really like it. This is a very dark movie that focuses on addictions. Woods and Young give a dark portrayal of a wholesome, happy couple in love who, through a series of bad breaks,descend into a hellish drug induced haze.There is a Powerful story here with some really good acting. Not just a story of drug addiction, the movie shows the addiction one can get to a certain type of lifestyle. This movie really does show, not just how insidious drug addictions can be, but how excess(money, power, glamor etc) can ruin a person. The Boost really gets inside the isolation that the main characters begin to sink into, and there is one scene in particular: (SPOILER ALERT!) where Linda, (after having her own plane, more money then she can handle and no need for a day job), sits chatting with coworkers(sober, drying out and gainfully employed after she and her husband lose everything, become addicts and make an effort to get off drugs). She sits with her coworkers making small talk and one can tell she'd rather be anywhere then where she is. That particular scene, among others, really stuck with me and is an example of how well the movie does at exploring not just the addictions, but the feelings, motivations and souls of the people behind the addictions.The Boost is not a very well known film, many people I know haven't even heard of it which is a shame as it's really very good. It's not a "hollywood" type of film at all, is quite dark, and I think anybody who liked leaving Las Vegas, Less then Zero or Bright lights, Big city will probably really like this movie. I would give it an 8.5 of 10 and would strongly recommend it if one is comfortable with the subject matter.

This film has suffered some unjustified criticism.Woods and Young are really doing great performances, as usual. One criticist stated that it was difficult to see any difference between J Woods "before" and "after", just as with J Nicholson in "the Shining". He may be true there, but taking things not too seriously, this is a believable and well-acted movie. To put it simply: It could have happened in real life.I wouldn't rate this as a masterpiece, but given the good performances of Young and Woods, it's clearly above average.Yes, it is an anti-drug film, but if you are against drugs you should see it. If you're pro-drugs, it is even more important for you to see it!

My gosh, this movie was nothing more than filmmaking by numbers. Struggling salesman can't make a go of it in New York, mentor with a heart of gold takes him under his wing, struggling salesman moves to California and makes it big, then loses it big, then bounces back with the simple life, then hits rock bottom trying to get back to the top. I don't think I can remember any part of the plot that took more than five seconds to develop. Case in point (spoiler?): When the John Kapelos character calls to say he and his girlfriend were coming to Santa Cruz to visit, and James Woods says there's practically no chance he would come, you knew with 100% certainty they were coming in the next scene or two.On the other hand, Sean Young sure looked good.