The Boost (1988)

Did you people see the same film I saw?

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

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.

Modest little movie that went almost unnoticed when released in 1988, it took in just under 1 million dollars in total ticket sales. The movie "The Boost" is about as powerful in it's message about the destructive nature of drugs, legal and illegal, as the film "Days of Wine and Roses" was some 25 years earlier about the evils of alcoholism. Down and out in New York City salesman Lenny Brown, James Woods, gets his big chance when real-estate tycoon Max Sherman, Steven Hill, takes notice of his innocent and boyish ability to charm people, that Max's associates didn't. Giving Lenny him a chance to show his stuff Max gives him a top job as a salesman for his firm back on the west coast. Lenny and his wife Linda, Sean Young, leave for L.A with a home and swimming pool a leased luxury Mercedes and high paying job there waiting for them. Lenny is easily up to the task in getting clients to buy Max's real-estate and within a year has worked himself up to become the most productive salesman in the real-estate business in L.A. It's then that things begin to go sour and Lenny just isn't up to the task of facing and dealing with them.Making most of his sales due to tax shelters and right off the US Congress unexpectedly votes to close them putting the real-estate market into a tailspin as well as everyone, like Max & Lenny,behind the eight ball and in the red. Lenny for his part wasn't that economical with his money and not only spent it as fast as he earned it he also went hundred of thousands of dollars in debt expecting his future sales in real-estate to eventually pay them off. Broke out of a job and with no money to pay off his bills Lenny, as well as Linda, turn to the only thing that can make them forget their problems cocaine.Gripping and disturbing film that doesn't have an happy ending with Lenny Brown blowing his whole life, and wife, away as he blows and gulps himself into oblivion on lines of coke and bottles of Quaaludes.Top-notch performances by both James Woods and Sean Young as a young yuppie couple who get caught up with the wild and depressing times of the high flying and spending 1980's and crash from it's excesses in both money and personal, as well as private, entertainment. The movie ends with Lenny now totally hooked, and wiped out, on drugs talking to Ned, John Rothman,a NY Times reporter that he first met at the beginning of the film in New York City. Spilling his guts out in what looks more like an opium den then a one room apartment Lenny could only hope that Ned would write his story and have it published in the Times. His sad plight may very well help future Lenny's and Linda's from sharing the same fate.P.S the film "The Boost" had actress Amanda Blake, who played Kitty on the 1950's & 60's TV Western "Gunsmoke", as Barbara in it as a washed up former showgirl and madam who, like Lenny, threw her life career and savings away by getting addicted to drugs. It turned out to be Amanda's last appearance as an actress on TV or in the movies as she died less then a year, on August 16, 1989, after the film was released.

amazingly good film that touches the effects of drugs it has on people's relationship. the beautiful marriage that these two wonderful people had, and what they ended with? wonderful movie, worth watching over and over again for little ideas and perfect dialogue that only two wonderful actors as young and wood could deliver. i watch this film every day in February, so that i do not get SAD . the movements of the actors towards the drug, the feelings they achieve afterwards, marvellous performance, touching and full of love, sadness, tragedy, hurt feelings, losses.the way they are transformed into ideas full of love, losses and tragedies, amazing. watch it over and over again, exhilarating.

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!