The Boost

One of the Finest Actors of Cinema History, James Woods delivers A Yet Another Fabulous Performance in 'The Boost'. A dark & depressing flick, that works mostly because of Woods.

'The Boost' Synopsis: A real-estate hustler & his wife see success, only to fall deep later-on.

'The Boost' is more about the side-effects of failure, rather than a story of drug-addicts. The struggle & the depression its pivotal characters go through, are very off-putting, as they depict reality.

Ben Stein & Darryl Ponicsan's Screenplay, though fairly engaging, gets a bit too serious & disturbing towards the second-hour. Harold Becker's Direction is proficient.

Woods is the biggest merit of 'The Boost'. He's so good as a suffering man, that my heart literally went out for him, even after he gives in to drug-addiction. Woods tops himself in here!

On the whole, 'The Boost' caters to a niche audience, but if Fine Acting is what you're looking for, then watching Woods's Masterful Performance in here, should top your list.

While today this movie may seem a bit dated, and yes, it is a little over the top, with a thin story line, the message is important.

James Woods is excellent, always assimilates the character he is portraying (I was reminded of his film "The Story of Bill W.", about the origins of Alcoholics Anonymous). Sean Young is also good, looks lovely, and portrays the put upon wife who ends up saving herself.

The business deals, and his rapid rise and fall are probably exaggerated, but the audience sees a former success "hitting bottom", which for some substance abusers, can take either a year, or a decade. The fact that Woods portrays an "äverage guy" who is just trying to get ahead, is realistic; he doesn't plan to live in a seedy apartment near Hollywood Boulevard; it is a long way from NY , or Wilshire Boulevard.

Some cameos are also excellent; Steven Hill is Woods' mentor, starting him on the fast track, Grace Zabriskie portrays an eccentric neighbor; John Kapelos plays the former "friend" from Woods' halcyon days.

Initially this movie was panned mercilessly; I find that over the years certain movies resonate the time period they depict, and while this was not a blockbuster film, like Oliver Stone's "Wall Street", (which was released the year before) it at least has a message, and several decent performances which deserve credit.

I once lived in LA in 1987 and a friend of mine was working on the film The Boost. He asked if I would be interested in being in it, and I took him up on the offer. I was an extra and can be seen in the background of the "pool party" scene (my other up close scene was edited out of the final product). I only worked two nights at a mansion leased for the film from a professional golfer, and was witness to the behind-the-scenes antics of Hollywood. The strangest behavior was actually after the film wrap, when a doll was found hanging on the doorstep of James Woods' home, along with threats which were linked to a specific someone working on the film. Just for the record, James Woods was extremely friendly to all of us on the set. A true gentleman.

Another great performance by Woods, first playing his typical schemer who this time gets a lucky break to go to LA and be respectable and even rich. He's now a fast-talking real estate salesman who still has no self esteem, but for the first time has the money to buy the look that can kind of hide it. Unfortunately, the paper reports the tax laws might be changed, so the incredibly profitable business of selling real estate so people can get a tax exemption dries up overnight. Woods is left with no money because he's p****d it away on planes and other luxuries. Woods and then his wife Sean Young become druggies and their life continually spirals down until it reaches rock bottom with disillusion, no future, and no life beyond the drugs. They are left with nothing, but each other, except Woods always knew she was too good for him, so she is the final domino in his now sad life that's left to fall. Woods is the best at making you think he could crack at any moment. He's always trying to get ahead, but at the same time you know he's always on the verge of snapping and totally screwing his life up. The portrayal of Woods & Young's drug addiction is dark and unsettling, but that makes it so much more convincing.

Most people say James Woods best might be "The Onion Field," or maybe "Once Upon a Time in America," or possibly "Salvador." But this gets my vote for the best work in his career, as he's an absolute powerhouse. He plays Lenny, an ambitious businessman who gets his chance to move to L.A., live in a kick ass house, own great cars, and obviously make amazing money. But then the hole falls through his tax shelter venture and he's left with nothing. But he finds new life with cocaine, the thing he thinks makes him more aggressive and will get him back on top. Instead he and his wife keep heading down, unbelievably down in utterly convincing, strongly developed scenes. The houses get smaller, the money gets scarcer, and Lenny gets more near death. Woods' best scene ever, in my opinion, occurs in this movie, when he violently explodes during a business dinner, totally ruining any chances he had. The way he so quickly says his lines, is amazing. He's incredibly wired throughout the moment and its awesome to watch. The only downside for me is the end of the film, which doesn't lead to a redemption for Lenny. Woods is still as strung out as ever, and has a terrific final moment as he reads directly into the camera the pain his character is still feeling. So despite a downer (no pun) of a finish, this is still great storytelling, with James Woods at his strongest.