One of my all-time favorite movie bad guys is Gordon Gekko. From his name on down, he was a total snake who got what he wanted, how he wanted. "Greed is good." That whole speech still gives me goosebumps. When I found out Oliver Stone was making a sequel to one of the quintessential 80's movies, I was, understandably, worried. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps was not the powerhouse that its predecessor was, but was a really good movie in its own right. I have to be honest, the financial world is a total mystery to me, and I can't even pretend to know what the hell was going on, business-wise (I felt like a three year old at a quantum physics lecture), but I'll be damned if I wasn't sucked into it. This is the story of the investment banking collapse from a couple of years ago. Remind me never to cross anyone in that line of work, they make Darth Vader appear a warm and fuzzy, well-adjusted father figure. The personal side of this neo-Greek tragedy revolves around Gekko's daughter and her fiance, himself a shadow of Bud Fox. Gordon has spent the last 8 years in prison, and, now out, tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter through her fiance. High drama, or an good attempt at it, to say the least.
Michael Douglas, of course, returns as Gekko. He is, again, great, giving the character the ruthlessness and greed that made him famous, as well as that bit of vulnerability that comes with a downfall. Shia LaBeouf (The Transformers series, Eagle Eye) and Carey Mulligan (Public Enemies) play the young couple railroaded into this disaster. Josh Brolin (W., True Grit) and Frank Langella (Dave, Frost/Nixon) both shine as opposite sides of the same financial coin. Brolin, in particular, continues to happily surprise me as an actor, he just gets better whenever I see him (Jonah Hex notwithstanding). Stone always manages to get fantastic performances from his actors, film after film. *POSSIBLE SPOILER* keep your eyes open for cameos!! *END POSSIBLE SPOILER*
As I stated previously, this is not the original Wall Street. This is a Wall Street for a new generation. Oliver Stone has again made an intelligent, thought provoking, and powerful film that will spark conversations. This will be making its way to my library, as Stone and Douglas did not let me down. 8.25/10.
Tomorrow's movie: Capt. Jack Sparrow and Mrs. Smith in The Tourist. See you then, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!
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