People contending with the continued stress of even a few personal and professional mishaps, especially if they turn out to be life-altering misfortunes, can often lead those feeling vulnerable to take drastic measures to improve their lives. That’s especially the case in director Uwe Boll’s new independent thriller, ‘Assault on Wall Street,’ which is set to be released tomorrow in select theaters and on-demand nationwide. The lead character in the film, Jim, is confronted by the realization that, after being abused and exploited by financial institutions for far too long, his only option is to finally take matters into his own hands. He isn’t afraid to make those who took advantage of him, from financial advisers to lawyers, accept responsibility for their actions that ruined his life, even if it means putting his own safety on the line.
‘Assault on Wall Street’ follows Jim (Dominic Purcell), a blue-collar New Yorker who works hard as a security officer to support himself and his wife Rosie (Erin Karpluck), who’s recovering from a near-fatal illness. Things start to fall apart after Rosie’s health insurance stops covering her treatment, and Jim’s life savings are lost in a disastrous investment his stockbroker advised him to make. Even with the financial and emotional support of his co-worker, Sean (Edward Furlong), Jim is confronted with the realization that he has been exploited by financial institutions for far too long. He decides he has only one choice: to strike back against the investors who wronged him.
Boll and Purcell generously sat down for exclusive interviews recently in a hotel in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood to talk about shooting the thriller in lower Manhattan. The director and actor discussed how the drama, which focuses on the unpredictable cycle of the American financial system and played at the SOHO International Film Festival last month, creates a relatable story.
Even though ‘Assault on Wall Street’ was shot on a small budget with limited effects, the two reiterated that many audiences can understand Jim’s drive to take revenge on the investors through the authentic relationship between the security officer and his recovering wife. Purcell said that the thriller’s true-to-life reflection of the greed on Wall Street, and how that affects working Americans struggling to financially survive, much like Jim and Rosie, allowed him to create a realistic working relationship with Karpluck.
While Purcell said that he initially accepted the role of Jim because of financial need in his personal life, he eventually came to embrace the character’s motivations. “I haven’t seen the films Uwe has directed and written that are based on video games, such as ‘In the Name of the King’ and ‘BloodRayne,’ but had heard they weren’t critically well-received,” the actor said. “So I was initially hesitant to sign on for ‘Assault on Wall Street.’ But I came to see that the script had a cohesive story that people can relate to.” Purcell added that he feels Boll’s “passion projects, like this film, as well as ‘Postal’ and ‘Rampage,’ show the full range of his talent.”
Though Purcell is weary of some of Boll’s previous directorial efforts in the video game genre, the actor said his apprehension of seeing some of t he filmmaker’s other work hasn’t stopped him from thinking about pursuing directing in the future. Purcell said that if he found a project that he relates to and understand, he would consider taking the helm.
While Purcell came to appreciate the realistic messages Boll was trying to convey with ‘Assault on Wall Street,’ the actor said he has no intentions of seeing the director’s upcoming video game action adventure drama, ‘In the Name of the King III,’ a project that reunited the two. The upcoming movie, which is set to be released later this year, is the second sequel Boll helmed in his film series based on the ‘Dungeon Siege’ games. Purcell, who plays the lead role of Hazen Kaine in the third film, said he initially declined the filmmaker’s offer to work with him on another movie. But after Boll’s insistence and Purcell’s need to continue working, the actor signed on for the role. “This movie is really meant for teenage boys who are fans of video games,” Purcell explained of his decision not to see the second follow-up in the series.
Boll explained that he also believes his passion projects are better received than his films based on video games because he takes the time to more fully develop the scripts, such as with ‘Assault on Wall Street.’ “I feel more comfortable telling these realistic stories, but I don’t let the critics discourage me from making the films I want,” the director said. In order to create a realistic story for the new thriller, the filmmaker said he “interviewed economists while researching the economic crisis in Germany. I wanted to understand people’s true motives for seeking revenge on those responsible for them losing their savings.”
The director also said that he decided to shoot in New York City to capture more authentic shots for the film. “Due to the limited budget, I didn’t have a full permit to shoot everywhere, like when Jim is riding on the subway. But I took a chance in order to capture a true authenticity for the story,” Boll said. Filming where the plot is set in New York helped garner a good response from audiences who attended the screening at the SOHO International Film Festival, he added.
Boll also praised Purcell’s portrayal of Jim, as he felt the actor “captured the emotional and vengeful side” of people who feel wronged by their financial advisers and Wall Street investors. While the director spoke highly of his lead actor’s performance, he strongly celebrated Furlong’s portrayal of Sean. While Sean is a supporting character to Jim and Rosie, Boll said Furlong, with whom he worked previously with on such films as 2009’s ‘Stoic’ and ‘Darfur,’ “has the potential to be a great actor when he’s not on drugs.” The filmmaker said he first saw the actor’s potential at an early age, with his break-out role in 1992’s ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day.’
Despite the low budget Boll had to work with in creating the new thriller ‘Assault on Wall Street,’ the director created an emotionally relatable story about the extremes people are driven to take when they feel as though they’ve been wronged by society. The film’s true-to-life reflection of the greed on Wall Street, and how that affects working Americans struggling to financially survive, much like Jim and Rosie, showcases how far people will go to fight to protect their money and livelihoods. Combined with a more thoroughly researched script on Boll’s end, combined with a realistic working relationship between Purcell and Karpluck, showcased how a story rooted in real-life conflicts, as opposed to CGI and action driven plots, can be more entertaining and fulfilling.
Written by: Karen Benardello
