Wall Street

Deceptively deep and complex picture from co-writer/director Oliver Stone paints a vivid portrait of 1980s over-excesses as the age of "Me, Me, Me" (otherwise known as the 1980s) is explored through the eyes of a young, eager and impatient stockbroker (Charlie Sheen) who moonlights as a liaison to a heartless, ruthless and crazily greedy mega-millionaire (Michael Douglas in a smashing Oscar-winning turn) who seemingly has his hands on most every aspect of big business. Naturally dilemmas occur in every direction for Sheen as the lifestyle he wants comes at a very heavy price (both literally and figuratively). A strained relationship with his father (real-life dad Martin Sheen) and a whirlwind fling with the superficial Daryl Hannah just leads to more and more cinematic fireworks. "Wall Street" is really the only film I can think of to deal seriously with its subject matter. Everyone of the age remembers the yuppie phase this nation had in the mid-1980s. Young urban professionals did their best to make as much as they could as fast as possible (sometimes through crooked and illegal means). The idea of retiring at 40 seemed like a good notion, but those same people with those thoughts are still working today (they never made their millions or they made their money and ended up going into a lifetime of debt because they spent their earnings quicker than they could make it). Ultimately the 1980s was good while it lasted, but good like that never lasts forever and that becomes painfully clear as Sheen's character becomes a warning to all those who think they can out-think and manipulate a strained economic system. Douglas is a complete revelation. I mean there is no doubt that he is an excellent performer, but his portrayal of a money- and power-mad player in New York is truly one of those instances of classic career work being achieved. Super-slick, wickedly intelligent and definitely a thinking person's movie, "Wall Street" continues to strike a chord when looking back at a very unique time of American economic history. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Epochal film from the 80's, which has almost unbelievably, in today's post Merrill Lynch / Northern Rock (depending on which side of the pond you're on) banking debacles become topical again, so much so that a same director / same star follow-up is reportedly in the making.

It will have to go some though to beat the shock and awe value of its prototype, with Douglas' larger than life personification of corporate greed, Gordon Gekko, dominating proceedings. Charlie Sheen is the young trader on the make, aiming to aspire, or so he thinks, to Gekko's status and success, trying so hard to please his idol that he not only ends up aping his appearance (slicked back hair, big suspender braces) but even betraying his idealistic union-man father by relaying insider knowledge on the latter's ailing airline employer to Gekko who then moves in to welsh on his workforce-friendly words to asset strip the company for massive personal gain. Sheen's Bud Fox character eventually has an epiphany, augured by the coincidence of real-life and cinema dad Martin copping a heart attack and turns on and indeed turns in his guru to the authorities to bring ultimate closure to the piece.

The film has its faults; I didn't quite buy into Douglas surrogate-father figure appeal to Sheen Jr., the coincidental heart attack of Sheen/Fox Sr is a bit too pat and some of the supporting characters come on like mere ciphers, including Terence Stamp as the UK magnate-cum-nemesis of Gekko and Daryl Hannah as a Gekko cast-off girlfriend/groupie who becomes young Sheen's trophy girl-friend. This leads to a larger criticism on the paucity of female characters in the film at all, but if you can accept that this is a man's man's man's world, to paraphrase James Brown, then this morality tale of its time still packs a punch, especially with the collapse of Communism and the surrender of the likes of Russia, China et. al to the addictive drug of big-bucks capitalism.

Stone's camera is constantly on the move, capturing the frenetic-ism of dealers on the trading floor as market frenzy takes hold, with the dialogue razor-sharp throughout, so many of the phrases of course having become clichés for that era, almost entering common parlance the language, such as greed is good, lunch is for wimps and more.

In the end, young Sheen would have done well to be careful what he wished for, but if he's the Little Red Riding Hood to Douglas' Big Bad Wolf, this particular out-sized fairy tale reaches its conclusion fittingly and satisfyingly, opening up a seamy, selfish world that you know is out there still, now more than ever.

I can sometimes find Oliver Stone an overrated director but WALL STREET is the best I've seen of his yet. A quite wonderful exploration of a topic that's undoubtedly mystifying to most people, WALL STREET explores the world of the stockbroker in an interesting and engaging way. That along the way it showcases '80s greed and excuse and highlights a career-best performance from Michael Douglas as the reptilian Gordon Gecko is merely incidental.

That Stone also elicits some compelling turns from a commendably straight Charlie Sheen, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD'S James Karen as a delightfully weaselly boss and Terence Stamp just adds to the fun. A decent story, well told and acted by a cast of professionals.

Wall Street (1987)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

A second hand broker (Charlie Sheen) dreams of becoming the next Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a major player on Wall Street, and eventually gets his shot to impress the big wig. Soon the kid learns that Wall Street is full of lies, cheating and greed and Gekko is willing to take him under his wing but soon he realizes that at some point enough is enough. It's been a while since I watched this film but I was really shocked to see how well it holds up today even though I'm sure many people would attack director Stone for making the Wall Street guys too much of a villain and perhaps adding too much of his conspiracy theories to trading. I don't think there's any doubt that Stone is using this film as a "warning" to those who give their last dollars to these major companies only to have bloodsuckers like Gekko come down and become richer while the poor become poorer. Some would argue this is overdamatics on the part of Stone but I'm sure there would be many who would say he was shining the light on evil greed. Either way this film holds up remarkably well thanks in large part to the terrific performances but also because the characters are so wonderfully written that even if you know nothing about trading it's likely you're going to know both Gekko and the kid. I think what's so remarkable about the film is that it really does play out like a Hitchcock thriller because you just know the kid is eventually going to get in over his head and while watching the thing you can't help but feel you're walking on eggshells as he becomes richer and richer yet he's too stupid to see the price he's going to end up paying. Tom Cruise appears to have become a respectable actor out of this period but I think Sheen gets overlooked as he certainly had a strong resume at this point of his career. He certainly brings that hot shot attitude to the role but he also has a vulnerability that works extremely well especially towards the end when he starts to see what he has done. Douglas, in an Oscar-winning performance, is downright masterful as the snake Gekko and you can't help but on one hand hate this guy but at the same time you can't help but want to be him with the power and attitude. Martin Sheen often gets overlooked in the film but a lot of the connection one has with the movie comes from him. John C. McGinley, Hal Holbrook, James Karen, Terence Stamp, Sean Young, James Spader, Saul Rubinek and Daryl Hannah add to their characters and deliver the goods as well. I think Stone's direction is a major point to the film's success as he perfectly handles the bigger picture of the greed of Wall Street but also the smaller relationships in the film. Again, the film works perfectly as a thriller but there's also a lot of heart and soul in the film thanks to the relationship between the father and son.

I totally adoire this movie, fabulous gritty no holds barred performance from the brilliant Mr Douglas, proving that sex is by no means the overwhelming theme of his movies as some seem to imagine.

I love the anxious, terrifyingly rapid advance given to the young Bud Fox from a chance comment in Gekkos daunting office, the instant changes of mood by Micheal swinging from interviewing to lambasting an industry peer on the phone and back to interviewing without a flicker.

Inspirational in the 'no fear' modus operandi of Gordon and then Bud, almost 'you can do anything if you dare' which has always given me a lift when I watch it.

Lush settings, and marvellous counterpointing performance of Terence Stamp, illustrating the 'Gekko' figure scenario in turn to Gordon nas Gordon had to Bud...

Await all Michaels movies with bated breath...Falling down....wonderful...but thats another story