Billionaire Boys Club

Everyone remembers “All the Money in the World,” which became famous for NOT being Kevin Spacey’s (probable) last film appearance after his notorious behavior became public. But “Billionaire Boys Club,” the film that actually featured Spacey’s last performance, is almost unknown. “Billionaire Boys Club” had a virtually non-existent theatrical release in the wake of the Spacey controversy and now languishes in obscurity on Amazon Prime Video. Viewed solely on its artistic merits, however, the film is neither a lost masterpiece nor a disaster. Instead, it’s a mediocre disappointment that squanders the talents of Spacey’s younger co-stars.“Billionaire Boys Club” dramatizes the true story of one of the most notorious pre-Bernie Madoff Ponzi schemes that victimized the rich and famous. In real life, two former classmates at an exclusive California prep school, Joe Hunt (played by Ansel Elgort in the film) and Dean Karney (Taron Egerton), started the BBC as a legitimate investment venture. Karney was a smooth talker from a wealthy family who sold luxury cars to his wealthier former classmates. Hunt, who came from more modest means and attended the prep school on a scholarship, worked in an entry-level position at a major brokerage house. Hunt devised what he thought was a foolproof investment strategy based on extensive research, and Karney helped market it to those in his social circle and their families. They even attracted the attention of someone they thought was a major industry player, Ron Levin (Spacey). But what goes up must come down, and when the market tanked, the pair instead cooked the books to show continued high profits. They used the money that others kept investing to bankroll a lavish corporate lifestyle for themselves. Eventually, the need for more cash to keep their “business” afloat led to the murder of Levin, who turned out to be a bigger and more successful con artist than they ever were.The actual story behind “Billionaire Boys Club” is a fascinating tale of greed and desperation that eventually resulted in multiple murders. A 1987 TV miniseries starring Judd Nelson (who has a cameo role as Joe Hunt’s father here) covered the case in considerably greater depth than this 100-minute movie can. When faced with deciding what to include in a relatively short theatrical movie, writer/director James Cox opts for blood, glitz, and sensationalism every time. So, viewers see a lot of partying. They see Ron Levin schmoozing with Andy Warhol (Cary Elwes in another cameo). They see a comically inept but brutal second murder. But they don’t actually get any insight into how Hunt and Karney become killers. And they don’t really see how the entire venture falls apart. Ironically, viewers got a better feel for the scandal’s aftermath by watching the 1987 miniseries, which was made while many of the legal proceedings were still playing out.Kevin Spacey is the primary reason to see “Billionaire Boys Club.” When he’s on-screen, the film sizzles. His Ron Levin is a seasoned con artist playing the youngsters who were trying to play him. When they think that they are conning him into investing in their fund, it turns out that he was using them as cover to raise money on his own. The rapport between Spacey and Ansel Elgort is reminiscent of the chemistry they displayed a few months earlier in “Baby Driver.” This is the type of role that Spacey was born to play, and he dominates every scene he’s in. Unfortunately, he exits the picture rather abruptly and permanently halfway through, and the movie founders from that point on.Both Ansel Elgort and Taron Egerton are talented actors, and neither does a terrible job in “Billionaire Boys Club.” However, their parts are severely underwritten, and they can’t carry the movie in the absence of Spacey. Egerton, in particular, has the flashier role as glad-handing salesman Dean Karney. But the actor displays almost none of the swagger he showed as Elton John in a part that demanded similar flair. Elgort and Egerton get little help from director Cox, either, who drags out the depiction of a later murder to the point of annoyance rather than emphasizing the personal dynamic between the pair.It’s hard to view or review “Billionaire Boys Club” without thinking about Kevin Spacey’s legal troubles, which doomed the movie at the box office. But he keeps this film interesting as long as his character is in the story. On that basis, I’m giving “Billionaire Boys Club” a slight recommendation. (I would have rated it at 2.5 stars if Amazon’s system allowed it.) But like the scheme at the heart of the film, “Billionaire Boys Club” promises much more than it delivers.

Movie was jerky and all over the place. Never clear what was going on.

Pretty decent movie with a good cast and a script that accurately (but not completely) covered the actual events. If you watch it on Prime, be sure to checkout the X-Ray trivia at the end to discover some interesting facts that were left out.

I was excited to watch this since I always seem to like movies that Kevin Spacey is in. I was also interested in the story. I was a little disappointed. The acing was good, but the story line could have been improved. I was bored through a large part of the movie.

Surprised to see so many negative reviews here? Thought this was a stellar performance by all, including Kevin Spacey and the storyline took a surprising turn at the end. Since I'd never heard the true story before this nor any of the documentaries or the first make, my take on this particular movie was pretty much based only on this performance, so I'm surprised to find people hating this. My only peeve was that the two lead actors looked too similar, actually come to think of it, ALL the boys in the club looked too similar. Other than that, I thought this was a pretty tight movie, dialogue was good, acting was good, directing was spot on, music, frame, story line, pacing and the fast pace was all on point for 2020. I recommend!

I could only watch for 35 minutes. Characters are warped and shallow psychopathic types.UPDATE: I returned and watched the entire movie. What happened to Ron Levin's adorable dog?

Spacey is quality goods -- and this, his last movie released before banishment, is owned by his brilliance lock, stock and barrel. Fun to watch the young rest of the cast gnashing about, working harder while Spacey works smarter. The story is familiar from its typical Reagan era, greed-is-good-gone-horribly-wrong headlines, and from previous tv and film treatments. While the boys play at being con artists, Spacey here embodies the archetype -- slimy and hilarious and frightening -- this is a performance for the ages.

I thought it was an interesting view into the ways money can change perceptions and of how the money and the affirmation can be so seductive you wind up doing anything to keep it.

Got sent the German version which was a) a surprise and b) unwanted.Returned.

C est en allemandAttention c est malhonnête car ce n est pas indiqué qu’il y a qu une langue l allemand

STORY LINE EXCEPTIONAL

DVD very good condition, but movie boring.

ai bien recu le coli