By Michael Corkery
Just one more week until Gordon Gekko returns in “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.”
While the Oliver Stone film hits U.S. theaters next Friday, why does it feel like it has been out for months? Well, it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival this spring, and it seems just about every journalist who covers the financial industry, including Deal Journal, has been invited to see the film in an advance screenings. Meantime, we have been innundated with stories of co-star Shia LaBeouf’s research for the role, trading prowess and, considering the fashion statement that was the original movie, the requisite satorial focus.
So, can Wall Street II live up the hype?
While the big name movie reviewers will surely weigh in new week closer to the film’s official release, there’s already a smattering of reviews out on the web. The early consensus seems to be that it is a worthy sequel to the great 80’s epic that came to define an entire generation of Wall Street.
The Hollywood Reporter writes: “Bottom Line: One of the better sequels in a long time.”
“Money Never Sleeps” is that rare sequel that took its time — 23 years — so it not only advances a story but also has something new to say. The film overheats now and then. But blame this on film making passion. One senses a fully engaged filmmaker at the helm, driving the movie at a lightning pace as if in a hurry to get to the next scene or next aphorism that further illuminates this dark world.”
How do the Aussies like it? Over at ABC Radio in Brisbane, the reception was more muted. The reviewer thinks Jacob, the young trader played by Shia LaBeouf, is not convincing in the role.
“Michael Douglas is the film’s biggest positive. He won an Academy Award playing Gordon Gekko in the original Wall Street and you can tell he had fun reprising the role…….Whilst it was great to catch up with Gordon once again, I didn’t think much of these new characters. I wasn’t sure what to make of Jacob. He introduces himself to Gordon and tries to repair the gap between father and daughter. Why is he doing this? Is it for the benefit of his fiancé? Or is he more interested in having Gordon as a mentor? Jacob is portrayed as a nice guy (he’s successful, good looking, loves green energy) but I wasn’t convinced.”
The Times in the UK took issue with some of the heavy financial jargon, but overall liked most of the acting.
“Beneath the information overload there are some great performances, and Douglas is still terrific, though increasingly raddled. Gekko’s hair precisely mirrors his mood, from scruffy to bouffant and then greasily slick. [Carey] Mulligan [who plays Gekko’s daughter] is a natural, down-to-earth Winnie, and it’s pleasing that Stone avoided the obvious actressy choices of those off-the-shelf American Jessicas (Biel, Alba etc). LaBeouf does a steady job, but there is something about him that says “airline attendant” to me. He lacks ballast.
Variety predicts the sequel will be a big hit among fans of the original Wall Street, even if the latest movie is only “surface-skimming.”
“Is greed good?” muses Michael Douglas in “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” and one can’t help but wonder in return: Has Gordon Gekko gone soft? The answer is, sort of — a development that takes some of the bite out of Oliver Stone’s shrewdly opportunistic, glibly entertaining sequel, which offers another surface-skimming peek inside the power corridors of global finance, this time during the 2008 economic crisis. Still, the chance to see Douglas reprise his seminal role is sure to stimulate interest among the original’s many fans…”
One question …. why is it that when Hollywood makes a movie about the Mafia, the actors, directors and producers go to great lengths to make sure that the it is presented in most favorable light …. but when it comes to America’s financial services industry a/k/a Wall Street —- it is like a game or a standing challenge in Hollywood to see how crappy can you make America’s financial services industry look. I have personally known and know hundreds or thousands of people in America’s financial services industry who dedicate themselves 100% to doing the right thing by clients, getting them the best possible financial products, and giving them the best possible financial services – be it for stewarding a family financial reserve, saving for college, retirement, philanthrophy, etc. Financing warehouses, factories, tractors, trailers, trains, cars, hospitals,home construction, apartment buildings, the list could go on. But Hollywood always has to take their cheap shots and make the industry look bad. Are there any greedy goofball types on Wall Street, yes always are a few. But is that the meat of Wall Street ? No it’s not. Not even close. At least they try to make the Mafia look good, right ? Always nice to have some people from Hollywood in town.
Matt Lechner – CFP, CRPS, FRM Chairman – WSSIG, the Wall Street Special Interest Group “supporting and growing America’s interests in the global capital markets” 4714026@optonline.net
The movie wallstreet on tv was edited, i had no idea of the foul language until i rented the movie, if money never sleeps has trash mouth language I wont see it,unlike wallstreet it has a PG rating and not a R rating.lets hope the language doesnt get foul like it did in wallstreet
MC… great piece on the sujective fairy tale story around the Golden Globe… about $ never sleeping. Go ask the Chinese about their 24-7-365 US Dollar Money Laundering… now there is where $ never sleeps. They make Wall Street and the USG look like a bunch of the Brady Bunch Pikers!