Wall Street

Wall Street Money :Never Sleeps

This film was not on my schedule. I went to Peterborough to hear my grandson play jazz. We went to the Canoe Museum. We walked the downtown and still had hours before the evening gig. Wall Street was playing across thee road and seemed inviting.

I am now so pleased I saw this film. It may be fiction or based on actual people. It didn’t matter. It gave me an insight into the fraud and back door trading of some large companies on Wall Street. It also helped me to understand the recent financial crisis in 2008. I saw the type of characters that seem to be amoral and think nothing of dealing dirty behind the backs of colleagues with the end result of hurting so many of the ‘average Joes’ who invested with them.

I confess I also had another reason for going. Michael Douglas is a sick man and who knows if he will make another film. I sure hope he does. He is masterful in Wall Street playing the part of Gordon Gekko. We first meet him when he is released from jail for insider trading and fraud. We quickly learn the he is capable of acting without scruples. His only daughter has nothing to do with him because of the things he has done in the past. Within a few years he is living the good life in a fancy apartment and working in London England.

A young upcoming money manager, played by the adorable Shia LaBeouf, becomes attracted to Gordon’s daughter. He tries to get father and daughter back together gain. As the film progresses we find out more information about hidden finances between the daughter and father.

There is a lot of conflict both in the business sense of the ‘big rollers’ on Wall Street as well as in the personal lives of the main character.

Josh Brolin seems to be playing in many movies lately. He is superb as one of the wealthy crooks with no moral integrity and doesn’t care who he hurts in the process.

Susan Sarandon has a small role as the mother of the young money manager. She is always in debt and borrowing money from her son.

The cinematography was superb. I loved the aerial views of New York. The bustling city scenes were beautifully shown.

The film works on many levels. The personal story was gripping. Human dynamics are always interesting. I was totally fascinated by the Wall Street dealings. We are all only too familiar with the financial collapse in the past few years. This film gives an insight into part of the problem. I loved the statement given near the end of the film:”The definition of insanity is doing it over and over getting the same results.”

This is a film well worth seeing even if I had to go all the way to Peterborough to see it and I am glad I did.