Thursday, September 30, 2010

2nd Wall Street movie doesn't make quite the same impact

When iconic movies get remade or have a sequel created, the release is often awaited with a sense of dread and anticipation. The hype concerning the second “Wall Street” film has just such that air. The brand new film, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” has been talked about endlessly. The original movie was released not long after the stock market crash within the 1980s. Michael Douglas is back as Gekko within the sequel, which takes place within the midst of the real estate crash of 2008. Both movies address unchecked greed and immoral trading in the world of investment and high finance after scandal.

’Wall Street’: The Merchants Hit Back

The more things change, the more they stay the very same. The second movie, equally the first, takes place within the midst of a financial crisis, and in the sequel, it is the real estate crisis of 2008. The beginning of the film is the release of Gordon Gekko, notorious corporate raider and insider trader, from prison. It is assumed that he went to jail following the end of the first film. Gekko is an iconic character, as it garnered generations of supporters and an Oscar for Michael Douglas. Seems like his new job is as a lecturer, as he gives talks to business students. The fiancĂ© of Gekko’s daughter in the movie, played by Shia LeBeouf, works at an investment bank and looks to bring down a corrupt hedge fund manager. The movie, erroneously referred to as “Wall Street 2,” is supposed to be a story of redemption.

The real Wall Street

Actual people on Wall Street know it is only fiction. The 2008 crash was really more complex than a movie will do justice to. That is the subject of a recent post about the film by Martin Fridson within the Wall Street Journal. An anonymous corporate attorney, as outlined by ABC, said the film is fine as entertainment, but cannot be taken seriously as a critique of real events. Dramatic portrayals of historic events often leave out crucial information, for the sake of sensation. Stone is no stranger to this kind of criticism, and Wall Street heavyweights which were technical advisors lamented his liberal use of license over portraying the complexities of real life.

Bad apples can ruin the group

The adage about bad apples spoiling the bunch is true. Many on Wall Street work incredibly ethically and unbelievably hard. If “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” was about those type of people, it wouldn’t sell numerous tickets.

More on this topic

ABC News

abcnews.go.com/Business/films-taking-wall-street/story?id=11712654 and page=3

Wall Street Journal

blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2010/09/24/a-wall-street-veteran-on-wall-street-2/



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