Oliver Stone has always loved stirring the pot. His movies have been the subject of intense criticism for the controversial liberties taken with historical figures and events. However, fifteen years ago, few would have questioned his ability to take the drama of human history and craft an excellent film from it. In “Platoon” and “JFK,” Stone utilized tight storylines and believable, complex characters to shed light on sensitive issues.
However, that Oliver Stone is nowhere to be found in “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.”
With the long-awaited sequel to "Wall Street," both critics and fans alike were hopeful for a return to form for Stone. Set against the backdrop of the economic collapse of 2008, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” finds Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), “Wall Street’s” cunning master stockbroker and insider trading extraordinaire, fresh out of jail, having written a new book about the impending economic crisis. Gekko takes up-and-coming stockbroker Jacob Moore (Shia LaBeouf) under his wing after he learns that Moore is dating his estranged daughter. The situation gets complicated as the bank in which Moore works collapses (starting the domino effect which eventually bursts the housing bubble), and forces him into business with Gekko. Eventually, the characters are all forced to deal with the “moral hazards” of living a life juggling millions of dollars of other people’s assets as the world teeters on the brink of economic collapse.
The greatest strength in “Money Never Sleeps” is its star-studded cast, led by Douglas’ shrewd, cold-blooded Gordon Gekko. While not as riveting as his original Oscar-winning performance, Douglas portrays a more mature, weathered Gekko set on redeeming himself. Carey Mulligan gives a solid performance as Gekko’s estranged daughter. Josh Brolin finds himself in another Oliver Stone leading role, and spins a decent performance from a poorly written character. Frank Langella provides a scene-stealing turn as Lou, the managing director of the Bear Sterns-esque bank who serves as Moore’s mentor and the foil to the ruthless Brolin.
Unfortunately, the cast’s collective talent isn’t enough to overcome the movie’s convoluted storyline and not-so-subtle political statements. As the market unravels, so does any resemblance of a coherent plot. Stone chooses to stuff his sequel full of half-baked political subplots like green energy, speculation and the housing bubble, without providing too much information about any of them. Cameos from Sheen and Stone himself provide laughs for about 10 percent of the audience and cheapen the film, making its erratic political messages all the more forgettable.
The first “Wall Street” succeeded by painting a realistic picture of the evil, alluring nature of easy-money stock trading of the 1980s through dynamic characters and a whip-smart screenplay. While “Money Never Sleeps” has all of the right ingredients to replicate this masterpiece, the film gets caught up in gimmicky motorcycle races, watery dialogue, and countless winks at the audience.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
