Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

I just want to start this off by saying I think Oliver Stone is a brilliant filmmaker. I have been a fan of his since Platoon. I walked out of the movie physically exhausted and mentally drained and films/movies should have that effect on it's audience. If you don't walk out somewhat changed, however slightly then what was the point? He's helmed some of the most impactful films in the last twenty years. He's taken you to places that you would have never seen and he's never missed the chance to show the world something tragic and/or new, or move you in some way. Except now.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps did not need to be made. I thought going in it was going to be relevant and impactful. That it would show those who don't really know what a hedge fund is or a derivative is and how the banks did their dirt and almost ruined the economy. I thought going in he would show perhaps both sides of the coin, show you the greed, opulence, and decadence of the wealthy and unscrupulous bankers and how that greed impacts the little man who can't seem to find a job or pay the bills. Instead all Oliver gives us is the Shia LaBeouf vanity project.

Don't get me wrong, this is an entertaining movie most of the time and it even made me laugh out loud when Charlie Sheen reprising his role of Budd Foxx came on the screen but it didn't move me and Oliver got bit with the Scorsese bug. So many of the same faces you've seen in Olivers films over the years find their way into this one, hence Charlie Sheen. For the most part though it's all Shia all the time. Just when you thought you couldn't get anymore of the kid thanks to the Transformer movies here he is in almost every shot. Not that he's not charming when he's going line for line with the likes of Frank Langella, Josh Brolin, Michael Douglas, and Susan Sarandon who plays his mother but this project seems to be all about making Shia a household name.

The story follows Shia's character Jake Moore as he works his way through the financial industry as the protege to FrankLangella's cahracter Louis Zabel. There's a nice real father son type relationship between the two men and when Zabel's firm starts hitting on hard times thanks to some foul rumors started by Josh Brolin's character, the impressively name Bretton James. It ruins Zabel and his firm and he decides the best way to handle things is to have a big of chips and then catch some subway poisoning. All the while Gordon Gekko get's released from prison and publishes a book asking the question "Is Greed Good?". He seems all contrite and well meaning and Jake who is dating Gekko's daughter get's sucked in by the man who seems to be saying all the right things and seems like he really wants to reconcile with his daughter who doesn't like and doesn't trust her father. Gekko subtly convinces Jake to go after Bretton and do what the old Gekko would do. Jake didn't need much of a push and the two men form some twisted Batman and Robin. There was never a case though of Batman destroying Robin that I know of.

Gekko was and is a shark and Jake eventually gets bit by the shark and his life falls apart. What makes no sense though is Jake getting this kind of treatment. Granted, he trusts Gekko when he shouldn't but really he's just a nice guy. He's nowhere as ambitious as Budd Foxx was which is what Budd in hot water. Jake just wants to love his fiance and bring father and daughter together and for that he pays the ultimate price. But then Oliver Stone makes a huge mistake in my opinion and goes for the heartwarming ending which is really hard to swallow.

It's a beautiful movie to look at and the clothes, wow! The wardrobe is really impressive and the preformances are as well. The cinematography captures the beauty of New York City nicely (it's really pretty to look at), the music is weak and virtually nonexistent, and the story has gaping holes. The movie does entertain however, it just won't move you.

See you at the theater.