Main Cast: James Woods, Sean Young, John Kapelos, Steven Hill, Kelle Kerr
Release Year: 1988
Country: US
Run Time: 95 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
James Woods and Sean Young were still "an item" when they costarred in The Boost. The stars play an investment broker and his girlfriend, who begin snorting cocaine on a recreational basis. Inevitably, the drug takes its toll, and soon Woods and Young have thrown away their lives in their desperate pursuit of their next fix. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Although its profane tone and dialogue are very much of the 1980's, The Boost plays like the kind of ham-fisted message fare that came out during the 1950's. Darryl Ponicsan's fast-paced script hits all the requisite "rise and fall" beats the story needs but it moves so fast that a lot of the connective tissue between these beats feels like it is missing, resulting in plot leaps and changes in character that hit the viewer with all the subtlety of a flying mallet. It also has some cringe-inducing cliché dialogue whenever the characters get philosophical about life and love. More importantly, the anti-drug angle seems like an afterthought that isn't integrated effectively into the storyline. Director Harold Pinter keeps the narrative moving forward in a technically competent manner but mainly leaves the actors to their own devices. This was an unwise choice because James Woods chews up the scenery with mad abandon -- he seems over-the-edge in the very first scene - while Sean Young delivers a series of line-readings so bland she seems to be in another movie. As a result, the duo has no chemistry whatsoever and the audience has little reason to become invested in the travails of their rocky relationship. In fairness to Woods, his commitment to the role and consistent high energy make his work here impressive to watch (particularly during an emotional-meltdown scene in a restaurant near the end of the film) but his work is so overblown that it veers into campiness. By the time the credits roll, the viewer is more likely to feel relief than sorrow. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
Ken Hardy - Art Director, Tom Mack - Associate Producer, Ilene Starger - Casting, Mel Howard - Co-producer, Susan Becker - Costume Designer, Lisa Lovas - Costume Designer, Tom Mack - First Assistant Director, Harold Becker - Director, Maury Winetrobe - Editor, John Daly - Executive Producer, Derek Gibson - Executive Producer, Stanley Myers - Composer (Music Score), Waldemar Kalinowski - Production Designer, Howard Atherton - Cinematographer, Daniel H. Blatt - Producer, Terry Carr - Producer, John Daly - Producer, Derek Gibson - Producer, Cindy Carr - Set Designer, Walter Hoylman - Sound/Sound Designer, Darryl Ponicsan - Screenwriter, John Daly - Presented by, Ben Stein - Book Author
Lenny Brown is a real-estate hustler looking to strike it rich. He moves to California and goes to work for a prosperous businessman named Max Sherman, selling lucrative investments in tax shelters.
Everything is suddenly first-class for Lenny and his beautiful wife, Linda. But when the tax laws abruptly change, they find themselves $700,000 in debt.
They become increasingly desperate, made worse by the fact that a friend, Joel Miller, turns them on to cocaine to for "a boost." Lenny and Linda both become addicted. They lose their home, car and jobs.
Lenny's life unravels little by little as the drug habit gets the better of him. He gets straight temporarily for one last great business opportunity, but he can't pull it off.
Roger Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half of a possible four stars in a Dec. 28, 1988 Chicago Sun-Times review, calling the film "one of the most convincing and horrifying portraits of drug addiction I've ever seen."
