I was late for work. I started watching "Boiler Room" at 8 to entertain myself while i tidy up the table but found myself glued to it until the end which was about 10. It was, in a word, .. compelling. It has a simple plot, though nothing black and white. The characters were not saints but not altogether without heart. In the end they were able to get me to sympathize with Seth's lamentable quest to please his dad, and even in the downfall of the "firm" and the sad plight of its employees who crashed midway in their pursuit of wealth and power. People have been either dissing this movie in their reviews or singing praises to it, but always comparing it to Glen Gary Glen Ross or WallStreet. To date I have seen neither so I have no point of reference.

What I know is that I liked it because, sans the "bitin" ending, it made me think in the end and evaluate my own values and my present job. It seems to be the same story without the "illegal" aspect of it. But at the end of the day, I asked the same things Seth asked himself. Is my work what i really want to do? At the end of the day can I feel good about myself knowing that I have somehow helped another person or given someone satisfactory service that could actually better his life to some degree?