Published via Ecency

(source: tmdb.org)

American broadcast television was much slower than Hollywood in adopting pop songs as a major tool to promote its products. When the author of this review first saw trailer for Billionaire Boys Club, 1987 film directed by Marvin J. Chomsky, it featured “Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)”, hit song by British pop duo Pet Shop Boys. I thought that the film was genuine theatrical feature and was later very surprised to learn that it was actually a two-part television film.

The lyrics of the song, which is often seen as some sort of anthem for yuppie culture during Decade of Greed, fit almost perfectly to the plot, based on one of the most sensational true crime stories of 1980s Los Angeles. The main character is Joe Hunt (played by Judd Nelson), young investment broker who is on trial for murder. Plot, framed by the courtroom scenes and told through flashbacks, shows how Hunt, despite relatively humble background, had attended elite prep school in Los Angeles and gained reputation of a nerd. When he returns to the city few years later, he contacts his former schoolmates – son of Los Angeles’ richest and most powerful families – and presents himself as successful commodities trader. He founds investment company and lures his old friends to invest their inheritance money, promising them to enjoy luxurious lifestyle without actually having to work; instead they are to form new business elite nicknamed “Billionaire Boys Club”. Hunt charms its members not only with profit, but by presenting his own “Paradox philosophy”, a set of beliefs that rejects traditional morality and justifes lies and even murder. Club members enthusiastically adopt it and soon have opportunity to put in practice when Hunt’s company gets into serious financial trouble. Hunt is forced to seek new investors and one of them happens to be shady businessman Ron Levin (played by Ron Silver) who, instead of coming to rescue, cons Hunt out of his money. Hunt reacts by pretending nothing is wrong while, in the same time, plotting to extort Levin out of his assets and having him “disappeared”.

Like with so many of such high-profile true crime television films at the time, the main purpose of Billionaire Boys Club was to exploit the media circus created by trial and do it before some other story would come into public’s focus. Scriptwriter Gy Waldron was forced to rush things and not even bother with waiting for Hunt’s trial for another murder (which was nevertheless reconstructed in this film). Television veteran Marvin J. Chomsky nevertheless does a solid job within the budget and content limitations; while dwelling too much on 1980s yuppies material excess, it depicts that lifestyle in economical but credible manner. Chomsky is even better in depicting the actual mindset of greed and arrogance. Judd Nelson, one of the most underrated actors of its generation, is brilliant in the role of young psychopath; his character almost never loses its cool and even when things go catastrophically wrong, in his mind he interprets it as a challenge that can be surmountable, with his followers quickly adopting the same view. Those that turn against Hunt – like brothers Chris and Eric Fairmount (played by Frederic Lehne and Raphael Sbarge) – do that less because newly found morality, and more because of the fear that might lose money when Hunt’s ship inevitably sinks. Billionaire Boys Club seems to be even more disdainful of them, especially during the scenes when they find convenient reasons to postpone warning authorities, unaware that such lack of action would result in additional loss of life.

While working well as true crime reconstruction and history lesson about 1980s capitalism, Billionaire Boys Club might require too much patience from contemporary audience. Chomsky was bound by three-hour format and forced to fill film with couple of unnecessary scenes. However, even with that, this television film is better than unfortunate 2018 feature film remake starring Ansel Elgort in which Judd Nelson appeared in the role of main character’s father.

RATING: 5/10 (++)