Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Drama

Director: Oliver Stone
Writers: Allan Loeb, Stephen Schiff
Release Date: 29 September 2010 (Philippines)

Stars: Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf

Plot

As the global economy teeters on the brink of disaster, a young Wall Street trader partners with disgraced former Wall Street corporate raider Gordon Gekko on a two-tiered mission: To alert the financial community to the coming doom, and to find out who was responsible for the death of the young trader's mentor. - from Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

MyTake

The original title would have been Wall Street 2. That would have been right since it is considered a sequel to the 1987 movie of the same title. But for me, adding, "Money Never Sleeps" to the title doesn't serve any purpose. It doesn't add anything to the movie's appeal or lack of it. The people behind the movie says it was necessary to give this 2010 version a contemporary tone or flavor. They also believe that "Wall Street" is too esoteric and American and therefore may not appeal to its intended international audiences. But Wall Street, that place in New York City, is as much a popular US icon of freedom as the Statue of Liberty or the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia are to the world as they are to America. It is as much a symbol of (organized) greed to many, as the Twin Towers were symbols of capitalism and materialism to the Muslim fanatics. Besides, "money never sleeps" is as clichéd as "a rose by any other name is still a rose." I therefore see no value-added by the sub-title to the sequel.

Actually, this line was part of a dialogue in the original film, between Gekko and his protegé then, Bud Fox, played by Charlie Sheen, "Money never sleeps, pal. I just made $800,000 in Hong Kong gold. It's been wired to you – play with it. You done good, but you gotta keep doing good. I showed you how the game works, now school's out."

As to the movie itself, I've been waiting for this movie since early this year. And I must say, it was a good movie over-all. But I have to advice you that you must have a bit of knowledge and understanding of how hedge funds or stocks are traded to be able to not only follow the story but to get a handle on it right at the very start of the movie. Otherwise you might miss the underlying reason why one of the characters, Kellar Zabel, the boss of leading character Jacob "Jake" Moore exited from the movie the way he did. (READ: This movie is not for everyone). But a visit to some websites about hedge fund management and stock brokering prior to watching the movie may help. But if you're really not into it, do not despair. There's also something to appreciate that's less esoteric than the complex and often confusing workings of the stock market and the Wall Street in general. The sub-plot of a love story behind Michael Douglas' character Gekko's estranged daughter, Winnie, played by Carrie Mulligan, and Jake, plus the sentimental and somewhat corny reunification/reconciliation between father (Gekko) and daughter (Winnie) provide this otherwise complex story of corporate intrigue with a welcome tear-jerking drama. If there's one disappointment (in me) that I can point out, it is that this movie, despite it being a sequel to the 1987 edition, was not at all just about Gordon Gekko or about his greed and his new view about it. I had hoped that it was going to be something of a "Revenge of Gekko" type of a plot. There were some scenes though which briefly touched on it. The scene where Gekko meets Bud Fox, a character in the previous movie, played by Charlie Sheen generated an audible "oohh" from some of the movie patrons. They obviously were familiar with these two and may have seen the 1987 movie (just like me). As to the dialogue, there may not be too many clever lines, but I think the movie is still engaging enough to merit our attention. There's one line though, spoken by Gekko, that I would like to quote: "Parents are the bones by which children sharpen their teeth." This he said addressing Jake while talking about his relationship with his estranged daughter. Michael Douglas reprise of the 1987 character shows he is still the guy critics hailed in that original movie. LaBeouf gives a credible performance as the new Bud Fox but not really much better than Charlie Sheen in the original movie. As to the direction and cinematography, there's not much I can say. But I sure liked the "Bloomberg Television-like" presentation in some of the scenes, i.e. split-screen, running digital ticker tape of stock price movements at the bottom of the screen, etc.

In 1987 Gordon Gekko declared, "The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind."

"Greed is good," concludes Gekko. You have to have seen that 1987 movie to see why.

Upon his release, after eight years in jail for fraud, Gekko says, " Somebody reminded me the other night that I once said that greed is good. I swear I don't remember it but it sounds like something I would have said in the 80s." And goes on to comment that now (in the face of all the manipulations of the market which is somehow impliedly abetted by the government itself), it has also become legal!

So, is greed good? You have to see the movie to be able to answer that question.

Gekko himself, gives a hint in this new movie when he says, "If there's one thing I learned in prison, it's that money is not the prime commodity in our lives... Time is." Hmmm...sounds like another movie title or sub-title...

And finally, did Gekko and Jake achieve their ultimate goal, i.e. warn everyone of the impending collapse of the financial system? And was Jake able to expose and "avenge" the demise of his mentor Kellar Zabel? You have to shell out a few bucks and fall in the theater line to find out.

By the way, to those of you who have not seen how a mobile phone looks like in the mid-80s, you'll find out in this movie (opening scene where Gekko is released from prison).




Or watch the trailer here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS0PJSKJoxw