Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Let’s face it; the intricacies of the economy and complexity of stock markets are far beyond the comprehension of most Americans. They certainly eclipse the understanding of this simple movie lover and reviewer. However, director Oliver Stone and his wonderfully-cast actors in “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” reached out to its audience in a rare and compelling way in order to share Stone’s own brand of political and economic ideology.

Renowned director and producer Oliver Stone has had his finger on the pulse of the American political system for decades. He has been involved in several controversial and groundbreaking films which seem to transcend party lines. Nearly freshly off of the mediocrity of “W.”, Stone’s bold yet ultimately weak attempt to chronicle the life of George W. Bush, his rejuvenation of his Wall Street series could not have been at a better time.

As the movie’s TV spots show, “Money Never Sleeps” opens with the love-to-hate character of Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) checking out from an eight-year stint in prison for insider trading. When he collects his belongings, he is given a cell phone as big as a brick. This intro sets the stage for the remainder of what I hope will become a generationally iconic movie.

There are two main plots that run parallel in “Money Never Sleeps.” Both are focused on the lovable yet headstrong and ambitious character of Jake Moore (Shia LeBeouf), a mid-level stockbroker at Keller Zabel, a banking institution on the verge of collapse.

The first plotline begins after the fall of his firm – Jake’s revenge against the man who engineered and profited from the collapse of Keller Zabel, Bretton James (Josh Brolin). The second plot stems from Jake’s strained relationships with his fiancée Winnie Gekko (Carey Mulligan) and her estranged father seven years after his release from prison.

Beyond the beauty of Stone’s vision, he also deserves considerable credit for the casting of “Money Never Sleeps.” Of course Michael Douglas was bound to return as Gordon Gekko, who was as perfect in this role as he was in the 1987 prequel.

Douglas also shares the stage well with LeBeouf, who has proven to America in “Money Never Sleeps” that his acting talent does actually miraculously surpass merely being the Disney kid who was in “Transformers.” LeBeouf retains the wit common in his previous roles, but adds a previously unseen intelligence.

Josh Brolin, another Oliver Stone veteran, also delivers a powerful performance as the modern-day Gordon Gekko of Bretton James, so to say. Brolin brings a bold greedy villain to the table for the audience to rally against, and is quite successful in his embodiment of the prevalent corruption on Wall Street today.

An honorable mention goes to Charlie Sheen, who was the focal character in the original “Wall Street,” for making a short but meaningful appearance in the sequel.

No adequate review of “Money Never Sleeps” could be written without a valid comparison it to its prequel. Some people have a lasting admiration for the original movie, and believe that its message hits harder than the modern adaptation. However, I believe that both movies convey their similar messages in powerful and generationally appropriate means for their own times. Any movie-goer who likes Oliver Stone’s work, has an interest in the economic plague of corruption that America is facing or just enjoyed “Money Never Sleeps” would probably do well to watch the original “Wall Street.”

Considering the mass appeal that Stone and his cast were able to generate for a usually boring topic in “Money Never Sleeps,” I give it a very strong recommendation. Don’t wait for this one to be on Netflix – it truly does deserve to be seen in theaters.

Posted by Ryan Del Campo on Oct 8 2010. Filed under Features, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.