Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Directed by Oliver Stone
Thursday 07 October 2010
by Rita Di Santo
Oliver Stone brings the story of finance shark Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) back to the big screen after a 23-year break.
Set in 2008 with Gekko out of prison, the disgraced financier appears on television for his book launch as the icon of the "greed is good" mantra.
Among his fans is Jacob (Shia LaBeouf), a young broker who also happens to be the fiance of Gekko's daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan).
Loosely based on the story of Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns, the large Wall Street investment banks that collapsed during the 2008 credit crisis, the movie portrays the bankers without sympathy.
Stone's directorial style, as in the original Wall Street, gives a personal view of what happened during the credit crunch, and the new generation of US brokers.
Stone's lens is sharp going into the details of US capitalism's lifestyle. The tone is gloomier and darker than the original and rightly so. Things are considerably worse than in 1987 when the original Wall Street was shot.
Today, the international financial situation is precarious. The "greed factor" has multiplied and the system has got worse.
The message at the end of the movie is clear - the "greed factor" has not stopped, it has just become common practice. The film reflects accurately the changes of the times.
However, this is an absorbing movie but not a pamphlet. It is a story about people. Through individuals we understand the collective context, the great disaster.
Gordon Gekko is older and wiser. Douglas is his usual brilliant self. But the real strength of Stone's film is that it delivers a powerful statement with such admirable dynamism.
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is critical of bankers, but not nearly enough. Would it ever be enough?
