In 1987, Oliver Stone and Michael Douglas created one of those wonderful moments of cinema magic in "Wall Street" as Gordon Gecko addresses the stockholders of Teldar Paper; "The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed - for lack of a better word - is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all its forms - greed for life, for love, for knowledge - has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed - mark my words - will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
As we all know from the outcome of the first film and the last few years of American financial history, Gordon Gecko was wrong. In the movie, Mr. Gecko went to prison for that mistake. In reality, The United States of America almost dove into another Great Depression because of the same mistake and misconception.
Now, all these years later, Oliver Stone has returned to familiar territory and brings us "Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps". How would Gordon Gecko have navigated through the collapse of markets? This film answers that question with great cinematic style and grace. The film is long - 2h 16min long and there are stretches of the film where it feels like 2h 16m. However, it is in these quiet, slow segments that Stone really showcases his ability to not just make a great movie - but to really make a piece of art. He has a unique style of expressing the mood of the moment in a film in a subtle yet powerful and always visually stunning manner. He makes bold choices and follows through on them with conviction.
One such choice, and one of the only downsides of the film, is to place Shia LeBouf in the lead role of this otherwise perfectly casted film. Shia is hired to perform the role of "Jake Moore", a young brash market analyst with the same cut throat philosophies as Gecko. I chose to phrase the previous sentence very carefully, and for a reason. Michael Douglas steps back into Gordon Gecko with comfort and ease, like the first cold autumn afternoon you slide into an old favorite sweater for the first time since the previous year. Michael Douglas becomes Gordon Gecko. Josh Brolin (who adds another amazing performance to his outstanding portfolio) becomes the film's villain, Bretton James. In the original film, Charlie Sheen becomes Bud Fox. Truth be told, in one of the film's best moments - he becomes Bud Fox again in this film and has a great moment with his former boss, Gordon Gecko. The point is this - this film has a phenomenal cast delivering great performances, with the exception of young Shia. Do not be surprised to see more than one performance from this film nominated for an Oscar. Oliver Stone is often referred to as an "actor's director". It means that if you are cast in a Stone film, you are about to deliver one of, if not, the best performances of your career. This is not the case with LeBouf. At no point in this 2+ hour experience does the audience ever see that level of talent from its lead actor. There are moments when he is on the brink of becoming Jake Moore, but not enough.
Overall, the film is shot beautifully in a style and manner that audiences have come to recognize and expect from an Oliver Stone film. Aside from LeBouf, an extremely talented cast has been assembled and most definitely delivers the goods with their performances. The story is thick and layered. You have got to pay attention to what's happening, because at any given moment in this film, a LOT is happening. Stone has taken enough plot to make two, maybe three movies and successfully juggled them all into one epic. Also, the soundtrack of the film features the music of David Byrne - another great choice made by Stone.
Gordon Gecko is back. Oliver Stone has made another great film that is sure to be in contention come Academy Award time.
4 Stars.
John M. Dunlap, The Hollywood Outsiders
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