Watch International Trailer: Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)
If anyone could pull off a sequel of his own film and make it better and more in depth than the first film it would have to be Oliver Stone. His movie of course is Wall Street from 1987 and the sequel to it is Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. A more fitting subtitle could not have been chosen for this movie. The reason being is that is is always moving forward and some times at a pace that is hard to catch up with or keep pace with, but this is not a bad thing.
The story of Wall Street: MNS is not really about one person as it is about the world that the characters are set in and how they interact with it. The movie starts out with Gordon Gekko with Michael Douglas reprising his role from Wall Street getting out of prison in 2001. Gekko has nothing but a gym bag, his clothing and a few possessions and no one to meet him. The movie moves forward to 2008 and we see that Gekko has written a book called "Is Greed Good?" and is promoting it on cable talking heads shows. We also meet Gordon's daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan) and her boy-friend Jake Moore (Shia LeBeouf) who is a trader at a top brokerage house. Winnie is part of a web based news service and both live in New York City.
Jake in the process of the movie gets a huge bonus check from his boss Louis Zabel (Frank Langella) and is told to spend it. As we see Zabel's firm has bought something it should not have is is going broke. In fact it does go broke and is bought by a rival firm for $3 a share. Zabel does something rash after falling from his post as a king of wall street. Learning of Gekko giving a speech Jake goes without telling Winnie who is estranged from Gekko. The two talk and you see the start of a relationship right away. Time moves on and Jake learns that the head of the rival firm was in fact shorting Zabel's company with private money. This firm's head is Bretton James (Josh Brolin). Jake looking for revenge for Zabel makes moves in the market causing James' firm to losing 110 million. James is so impressed that fact he wants to hire Jake away from what is left of Zabel's firm to work for him. In the back ground of this there are some stories growing. One is the relationship between Jake and is mother Susan Sarandon who has gotten into buy and selling real estate on Long Island and is in trouble. Also Jake and Gekko become closer still yet to the point Jake ask Gekko to dinner with his daughter to try to get them together. If fails but Jake tries again at a charity ball where he gets Gekko in and he and Winnie meet up again. This time they start to bound.
Now Jake is trying to get 100 million dollars for a fusion energy company out in California or it will go under. His company is trying to get the Chinese to invest the money in a solar panel manufacturing company. Jake sees it as a major mistake and wants the money sent to his choice. Things are looking his way when James tells him that it will go toward the solar panel company. Jake confronts James about shorting Zabel's company while buying it at the same time for dirt cheap. Of course he quits and goes to Gekko who is signing books. The two talk and Jake learns that Winnie will get 100 million dollars when she turns 25. Jake sees it as his way to get the money to his energy company. After convincing Winnie to get the money and have Gekko laundry it so it can be sent to the energy company Jake and Winnie wait for the money. It never arrives and Gekko is in the wind too. Jake and Winnie break up shortly after she gets pregnant. Jake finds Gekko who is in London running his own firm and doing well at it. Jake shows the sonogram of the baby and gives Gekko a choice. Give the 100 million dollars back and be a part of the babies life or be estranged for life. Gekko does not give up the money.
In the final act of the movie we see Jake writing. He takes two stories to Winnie to put on her website. One about the fusion power plant and one about James doing illegal trading from his own accounts. Both hit the street and start to move around at a quick pace. James is brought under investigation by the feds and there is interest in the power plant to get the money it needs. At the end of the Wall Street: MNS Jake and Winnie get back together after Gekko gives 100 million to the power plant company and ask to be in their lives with the baby.
First off it takes place during the almost collapse of the entire financial system. You see in this movie not only the interaction of the characters but are told how it happened and the reasons behind it. Deep down Wall Street: MNS is a look at how we got the world we live in now and how to avoid it if we choose to learn the lessons.
With this in mind and the complexities of the story Oliver Stone does an almost perfect job of weaving together all the elements of this script. The camera work is perfect and the originality of how it was shot is powerful. The acting of everyone is top notch but the key to the movie is Michael Douglas who is the key to holding the movie together.
If anyone could pull off a sequel of his own film and make it better and more in depth than the first film it would have to be Oliver Stone. His movie of course is Wall Street from 1987 and the sequel to it is Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. A more fitting subtitle could not have been chosen for this movie. The reason being is that is is always moving forward and some times at a pace that is hard to catch up with or keep pace with, but this is not a bad thing.
The story of Wall Street: MNS is not really about one person as it is about the world that the characters are set in and how they interact with it. The movie starts out with Gordon Gekko with Michael Douglas reprising his role from Wall Street getting out of prison in 2001. Gekko has nothing but a gym bag, his clothing and a few possessions and no one to meet him. The movie moves forward to 2008 and we see that Gekko has written a book called "Is Greed Good?" and is promoting it on cable talking heads shows. We also meet Gordon's daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan) and her boy-friend Jake Moore (Shia LeBeouf) who is a trader at a top brokerage house. Winnie is part of a web based news service and both live in New York City.Jake in the process of the movie gets a huge bonus check from his boss Louis Zabel (Frank Langella) and is told to spend it. As we see Zabel's firm has bought something it should not have is is going broke. In fact it does go broke and is bought by a rival firm for $3 a share. Zabel does something rash after falling from his post as a king of wall street. Learning of Gekko giving a speech Jake goes without telling Winnie who is estranged from Gekko. The two talk and you see the start of a relationship right away. Time moves on and Jake learns that the head of the rival firm was in fact shorting Zabel's company with private money. This firm's head is Bretton James (Josh Brolin). Jake looking for revenge for Zabel makes moves in the market causing James' firm to losing 110 million. James is so impressed that fact he wants to hire Jake away from what is left of Zabel's firm to work for him. In the back ground of this there are some stories growing. One is the relationship between Jake and is mother Susan Sarandon who has gotten into buy and selling real estate on Long Island and is in trouble. Also Jake and Gekko become closer still yet to the point Jake ask Gekko to dinner with his daughter to try to get them together. If fails but Jake tries again at a charity ball where he gets Gekko in and he and Winnie meet up again. This time they start to bound.
Now Jake is trying to get 100 million dollars for a fusion energy company out in California or it will go under. His company is trying to get the Chinese to invest the money in a solar panel manufacturing company. Jake sees it as a major mistake and wants the money sent to his choice. Things are looking his way when James tells him that it will go toward the solar panel company. Jake confronts James about shorting Zabel's company while buying it at the same time for dirt cheap. Of course he quits and goes to Gekko who is signing books. The two talk and Jake learns that Winnie will get 100 million dollars when she turns 25. Jake sees it as his way to get the money to his energy company. After convincing Winnie to get the money and have Gekko laundry it so it can be sent to the energy company Jake and Winnie wait for the money. It never arrives and Gekko is in the wind too. Jake and Winnie break up shortly after she gets pregnant. Jake finds Gekko who is in London running his own firm and doing well at it. Jake shows the sonogram of the baby and gives Gekko a choice. Give the 100 million dollars back and be a part of the babies life or be estranged for life. Gekko does not give up the money.
In the final act of the movie we see Jake writing. He takes two stories to Winnie to put on her website. One about the fusion power plant and one about James doing illegal trading from his own accounts. Both hit the street and start to move around at a quick pace. James is brought under investigation by the feds and there is interest in the power plant to get the money it needs. At the end of the Wall Street: MNS Jake and Winnie get back together after Gekko gives 100 million to the power plant company and ask to be in their lives with the baby.
First off it takes place during the almost collapse of the entire financial system. You see in this movie not only the interaction of the characters but are told how it happened and the reasons behind it. Deep down Wall Street: MNS is a look at how we got the world we live in now and how to avoid it if we choose to learn the lessons.
With this in mind and the complexities of the story Oliver Stone does an almost perfect job of weaving together all the elements of this script. The camera work is perfect and the originality of how it was shot is powerful. The acting of everyone is top notch but the key to the movie is Michael Douglas who is the key to holding the movie together.