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| Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps |
Movie: Wall Street - Money Never Sleeps
Starring: Michael Douglas, Shia Labeouf, Carey Mulligan
Director: Oliver Stone
It would seem like the perfect time for an updated version of a movie like Wall Street. With the financial meltdown and subsequent bailout of US banking system there is a lot of new material to be covered. Which ends up being one of the main challenges for this film. How do you tackle such a complex and historic moment and also tell a more human story? "Money Never Sleeps" ambitiously tries to do just that but neither story is given the justice that it deserves. Director Oliver Stone seems to take on more than he can handle, although there are some bright spots along the way. As the movie opens Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) is finally being released from prison for insider trading and tax invasion. No one is there on the outside to greet him. It seems everyone has forgotten about him. The movie then switches gears to the story of Jake Moore (Shia Labeouf) who is quite possibly the world's nicest stockbroker. He invests based on the actual value of companies and not on pure speculation. He's even convinced his firm to invest heavily in green fusion energy technology. Jake's girlfriend also just happens to be Winnie Gekko (Carey Mulligan) Gordon Gekko's estranged daughter. Mirroring real life events Jake's financial firm is targeted by false rumours and stock price manipulation to take the first fall of the financial crisis. Jake's mentor Louis Zabel (Frank Langella) distraught from the fall his company has taken, takes his own life, stepping in front of an on coming train. It's at this point that Jake seeks out Gekko at one of his lectures. Gekko rails against the excesses and corruption that are like a cancer upon the world. It seems he is a changed man no longer concerned with Wall Street. Jake needs him to help him find out who targeted his company. Gekko convinces Jake he needs to help him reunite with his daughter. Should Jake trust Gekko? Is he truly a changed man? Will Jake get the payback he yearns for? Will he become just as corrupt as those he hates?
