Customer Reviews

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(31)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

I've worked on Wall Street my whole life. The first film was cut throat Ivan Boseky insider trading and raw greed at its finest. Michael Douglas was simply riveting. I had been waiting for the sequel ever since announced. Going opening day, I was stunned after watching it the first time. Yes, Oliver Stone nails the Collapse of Wall Street in 2008 with the mortgage meltdown. Every character can be parlayed into a real life individual involved in the Bear Stearns and Lehman collapse. But the real story is about second chances in life, fighting for family, doing the right thing, commitment to work and the price paid for loyalty. Shia Labeouf (Jake Moore) is at his best when he sets out on a course of vindictive revenge after James Brolin (Bretton James) causes the "perceived" collapse of Keller Zabel(KZI) and the suicide of his mentor and KZI's leader Lou Zabel.

Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko) and Shia Labeouf team up given that Jake is engaged to Gordon's daughter Winnie. They embark on path to understand KZI's collapse and to seek revenge, plus make a few dollars along the way for Gordon. Gordon and Jake make a series of "trades" to learn that Bretton James and his firm, Churchill Schwartz, were illegally betting on everything under the Sun to destroy KZI. Oliver Stone's attention to detail is STUNNING. Words won't do justice to the perfection of the each set. You have to know Wall Street to know that on a scale of 1 to 100, he gets a 99 because no one gets a 100. Gordon's real redemption is his name, reputation and a deep love for his family. Jake simply wants to do right by the death of Lou Zabel and persecute those respondsible. Wrap those emotions around a fast paced collapse of Wall Street, and you have a beautiful movie. Vetrans of investing will be amazed, but the film has a broad reach. One can't spoil the detail in the screen writer's brillance, but the lines are wit personified. To be "blamed for all disasters since Nintendo" speaks to taunt tone and wit. Best line of all is Gordon's---"When you stop telling lies about me, I'll stop telling the truth about you." Gordon finally does do right. One shouldn't spoil this film. I titled my review "Love, Life Family...." The last 20 minutes bring together all aspects of any excellent drama. On a personal note given Michael Douglas' condition, I will remember his 2 performances in Wall Stret with deep gratitude and always wish him good health. "Time is the most important thing in life." Well said Mr. Douglas

** SPOILER ALERT ** Do not read if you do not want to know details **

I saw the original in the theatre in 1987 and was hoping for a sequel since then. This film was originally to be released in April 2010, but was pushed back to September 2010 as it was included in the Cannes Film Festival, and the studio probably did not want the film to get lost among the summer flotsam.

That said, this film was worth the wait. If you are an aficionado of the original, you will appreciate the homage that this film pays to it. The soundtrack features David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame, featured in the original soundtrack), Gekko bumps into Bud Fox at a party, and LaBoeuf has the same real estate broker as Fox and Darian used...the lady with the annoying voice. Upon his release from prison, Gekko is also handed his brick-sized cellphone, which gives the viewer a glimpse of just how much things have changed since the original. Would have also been nice to bring back Sean Young or Terence Stamp in some capacity. Eli Wallach had a bit part which also delivered comeuppance superbly to Brolin's character.

I think that Michael Douglas must have a clause in his contracts that require his to give at least one great speech in each of his films. For this film, it was when he addressed the college class. Stone truly delivered here, and laid the blame for the crisis exactly where it belongs, which is to say with the majority of us. The reference to the bartender who owned three houses was perfect.

The film's weaknesses are few, but still significant. Specifically, Laboeuf is miscast and comes across about as threatening as a box of facial tissues. Sheen brought a power and passion for both good and bad to the original. Laboeuf seems out of place and definitely out of his depth next to Gekko. I think James Franco would have been far more convincing. Langella was a great fit as Zweibel, but had a far too limited role. Brolin was superlative and can do evil better than most of his contemporaries. Susan Sarandon was great as Labouef's mother.

The other significant weakness in the film is in how neatly the family issues are tied up and concluded. Not unless your family is named Osmond, is atonement and forgiveness as easy as portrayed in the film. I definitely expected better in this regard.

Overall though, well worth the wait. Stone got the details correct.

This might not be the five star entertainment that the original was, but it's still damned good. Contrary to popular belief Gordon Gekko is there, he's just in the details. "Bulls make money, bears make money. They pigs? They get slaughtered." This is rock solid entertainment with wisdom to spare. And, it warrants MULTIPLE viewings.

And to top it off, as a former Wall Streeter who spent endless hours on the trading floor of one of the biggest brokerage firms, I can tell you that they got the details right.

Given the fact that the original movie Wall Street is one of my favorites, I was excited when I first heard there was going to be a sequel. Imagine my shock at watching this dud.

This film is lacking in just about every area imaginable. The story and performances certainly are forgettable (except Michael Douglas), and to me, it's a crime to relegate Michael Douglas to little more than a supporting role, while trying to cash in on his name.

Oliver Stone loves to stand on a soap box and point fingers in judgment of others, and there's no shortage of that here.

We all know that greed got us into the current financial mess we're in, tell us something we don't know.

I've seen better made documentaries on the subject.

I really wanted to like this film, but couldn't. I gave it an extra star for being able to see Michael Douglas, a master at his craft, perform so well despite the material he had to work with.

Sometimes a movie comes along that gets mixed reviews and it may be due to something controversial or some other reason. Seeing all the bad reviews for this movie I had held off seeing it. I am a great fan of almost all the stars especially Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf. I finally thought how bad can it really be and ordered it on demand on cable. I am writing this review to warn everyone - with this movie it honestly is not a matter of opinion, the movie is just plain terrible. I don't get how people are going overboard criticizing the acting for there is very little for any of the actors to do. I blame this disaster on Oliver Stone and him alone. He is obviously trying to make a statement on money, its business etc. No point is made and there is no story. All the actors walk through each scene like zombies for the entire script is ridiculous. There is no emotion for the acrtors to grasp onto. The scenes where tears are shown are laughable for they are so poorly written and directed. With this movie there is no beginning, middle or end. When it was finally gratefully over I just felt like I had wasted 2 hours. I had no idea what the point of it all was. I really want to know what power Oliver Stone used to convince all these A list actors to participate in this terrible film. He has created and directed a true mess.

I very rarely write such negative reviews but I must be honest and feel people considering watching this film or even God forbid purchasing it should be warned. It is not being ridiculed for it is a bad sequel but for the mere fact that it is a bad film. Liking the actors is not enough to get through it. Avoid at all cost.

Oliver Stone's original Wall Street was a timely portrait of greed at the height of the Reaganomics era, so what better time for a sequel with our country edging closer and closer to the brink of economic collapse? It sounds like a formula for a real winner, but sadly, Oliver Stone's Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is anything but. Michael Douglas returns to his signature, Oscar-winning role as Gordon Gekko, who has recently been released from prison. After being sought out by Jake (Shia LaBeouf), the fiance' of his estranged daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan), Gekko points the young man in a vengeful direction against the powerful Bretton James (Josh Brolin) who Jake believes is directly responsible for the death of his mentor (Frank Langella). While the melodramatic plot could have easily served as a decent enough backdrop for an examination into the causes of the current financial crisis, Stone instead wastes oodles of potential to focus on the intertwining dramas between Gekko, Jake, Winnie, and James; and while all the players perform admirably enough, the end result leaves one asking just why care about any of the proceedings at all in the first place. Stone's delivery is heavy-handed, and the end result is a disappointing bore of a film. Even with old pros like Eli Wallach, Susan Sarandon, and Austin Pendleton along for the ride, the film is just comes off as an overly glossy, half-hearted re-tread of the original film. All in all, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is a wholly disappointing sequel that wastes the potential of its backdrop and point, and sadly isn't worth your time in the least.

Oliver Stone has made some good movies. This is not one of them. The problem begins with a lack of understanding of Wall Street today. The first film depicted a Wall Street in a different time, a time when boutiques and KKR type firms made up a larger portion of what went down on the Street. The current film does have some great quotes by Douglas. There is no denying that. And some representations in the movie are entertaining. But the entire concept of a bank is completely missed. Given that regulators missed it, perhaps it is not surprising that Stone and the film's producers missed it too. But the first thing that struck me about the film was that Stone did little homework in preparing for the film. Even if he would have had to simplify the concept of the bank, he could have tried. Instead he skipped the banks altogether and stuck to his ridiculous concept of the small trading firm as the main culprit. Hollywood loves to spend time on doctors and lawyers, but when it turns its attention to Wall Street it can barely put together a story. The sad part is this lack of understanding is one of the reasons why we got into the mess originally.

The movie felt dis-jointed. Great depiction of the collapse, but also preachy. Don't expect to be overly entertained.

The opening scene of this film shows Gordon Gekko leaving prison after serving his time for his illegal practices. That may be the biggest fantasy, that anyone from Wall Street should be punished for their greed.

This is an entertaining film, well acted, scripted and photographed. But, as we know Wall Street is protected by the politicians, and whatever financial gains the money grabbers achieve, they get to keep. We follow one firm, where a young trader named Jake Moore played by Shia LaBeouf, works for his mentor Frank Langella, known as Louis Zabel. The firm is ripe with rumours on the street and it comes tumbling down, due to the actions of Bretton James played by Josh Brolin, who has spread rumors about the instability of the firm. A tragedy occurs and Jake takes it upon himself to show revenge for the loss of his firm. He works with Gordon Gekko, Michael Douglas, whom he met when Gordon was speechifying. As a side kick, Josh is engaged to Gordon's estranged daughter, Winnie. He keeps his relationship with Gordon from Winnie, and we know that will mistake will come home to roost. Winnie, played by Carey Mulligan is a young woman who has lost her father to prison and brother to drugs. She is unforgiving at first, but begins to melt. The relationships intertwine with shoddy trading practices, love, ambition and revenge.

A slow film getting started, but it builds to a good story that is easy to follow but not enough distaste for Wall Street is shown. We see people from the government and the White House doing what they can to help Wall Street maintain its financial stability. I wanted more from this film.

Recommended. prisrob 12-31-10

Disturbia (Widescreen Edition)

Michael Douglas Film Collection (10pc)

Like many other reviewers, I loved the original movie. However, this movie is about as unwatchable as anything I've seen in a long time. I've been a finance professional for the past 22 years and I could hardly follow the disjointed logic of the underlying money issues. Add to that the pointless relationships between most of the characters and this turns out to be a movie I couldn't wait to see end. Too bad, too. Gordon is an iconic character who deserved much better following his time in prison.