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Wall Street
(1987) - Directed by Oliver Stone
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Drama
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(1987) - Directed by Oliver Stone
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Drama
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"Greed, for lack of a better word... is good."
I remember when I was young and we just got Netflix streaming, I saw the DVD covers for Wall Street and its sequel. I don't know what it was, but something about the two intrigued me. Maybe it was the mystique of an entirely new genre? Maybe it was because it looked like the kind of movie that didn't have the same R-Rated stuff as most of the modern movies on TV? I don't know but the very idea of the movie somehow stuck in my mind forever. And just now have I finally gotten around to it because of availability and not having any specific plans for which types of movies I need to watch.
Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) is a stockbroker who comes to Wall Street's hotshot star Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) with some insider information... relating to the business his father works at (being Martin Sheen). After a few shares bought and sold, and a few tricks here and there, Bud becomes the next big thing on Wall Street. However, soon he finds out that Gekko has other plans for the business they invested in, and Bud needs to find a way to save the company.
I went into this movie immediately thinking about The Wolf of Wall Street, and I thought of its strengths and criticisms while hoping that the same deal wouldn't be seen on this earlier 80's movie as well. But the first and foremost aspect of this film I was most excited for was Michael Douglas. I really wanted to see his performance, and as I expected, I was not disappointed in the slightest. This movie features one of his best performances and the largest amount of sleeze and charm I have ever seen from this man. And there's also the pairing of Charlie and Martin Sheen sharing some very heartfelt and realistic discussions with each other, adding a heavy family theme with plenty of relatability and a strong forefront of logical dialogue.
But I really have to say it. After Bud becomes successful, the plot seems to halt for a while. For the whole middle act, we're left with a bunch of thoroughly-detailed stock 'n' share gobbledygook that would more likely appeal to the niche audience interested in that whole economic shebang, and fine acting to make these scenes good enough to watch, but not necessarily memorable to me. This is the EXACT same primary flaw made by The Wolf of Wall Street, which wasted a good deal of its three-hour screentime on debauchery and heavy R themes. However, there are some very personal standout scenes, such as the elevator argument between Bud and his father. It's such a grand performance from both father and son.
But then the third act comes around, and things get interesting again. We get some serious development on Gekko's side with an incredibly well-written and perfectly acted speech on American economics and its usage of money. Unfortunately, much of the plot is still based on heavy stock 'n' share stuff. But the ending is still very satisfying as it maintains its complexity in more personal ways, and adds a couple of twists to make it all the more satisfying. You can't help but feel good for Bud's newfound character at the end of the movie.
It's perfectly obvious to me that if I tried watching this movie back when I first got Netflix, I would've been bored. But today, I came in with plenty of experience in Michael Douglas's catalog, and have a fair deal of experience in the crime and real world drama genres. On top of that, I'm glad I went into this having already seen The Wolf of Wall Street. Personally, I think this is better. The pairing of Martin and Charlie adds a lot to the heart of Bud's character, Michael Douglas is an onscreen treat and it's obvious that the crew put a lot of effort into this script. It's not my genre, but I think someday I'll watch it again. I know the sequel isn't supposed to be as good, but I still really want to see it.
Btw, this is the movie where I finally score Oliver Stone.
= 80
Oliver Stone's Directorial Score (3 Good vs. 0 Bad)
Platoon: 96
Wall Street: 80
Snowden: 76
Score: 84 / 3
Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) is a stockbroker who comes to Wall Street's hotshot star Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) with some insider information... relating to the business his father works at (being Martin Sheen). After a few shares bought and sold, and a few tricks here and there, Bud becomes the next big thing on Wall Street. However, soon he finds out that Gekko has other plans for the business they invested in, and Bud needs to find a way to save the company.
I went into this movie immediately thinking about The Wolf of Wall Street, and I thought of its strengths and criticisms while hoping that the same deal wouldn't be seen on this earlier 80's movie as well. But the first and foremost aspect of this film I was most excited for was Michael Douglas. I really wanted to see his performance, and as I expected, I was not disappointed in the slightest. This movie features one of his best performances and the largest amount of sleeze and charm I have ever seen from this man. And there's also the pairing of Charlie and Martin Sheen sharing some very heartfelt and realistic discussions with each other, adding a heavy family theme with plenty of relatability and a strong forefront of logical dialogue.
But I really have to say it. After Bud becomes successful, the plot seems to halt for a while. For the whole middle act, we're left with a bunch of thoroughly-detailed stock 'n' share gobbledygook that would more likely appeal to the niche audience interested in that whole economic shebang, and fine acting to make these scenes good enough to watch, but not necessarily memorable to me. This is the EXACT same primary flaw made by The Wolf of Wall Street, which wasted a good deal of its three-hour screentime on debauchery and heavy R themes. However, there are some very personal standout scenes, such as the elevator argument between Bud and his father. It's such a grand performance from both father and son.
But then the third act comes around, and things get interesting again. We get some serious development on Gekko's side with an incredibly well-written and perfectly acted speech on American economics and its usage of money. Unfortunately, much of the plot is still based on heavy stock 'n' share stuff. But the ending is still very satisfying as it maintains its complexity in more personal ways, and adds a couple of twists to make it all the more satisfying. You can't help but feel good for Bud's newfound character at the end of the movie.
It's perfectly obvious to me that if I tried watching this movie back when I first got Netflix, I would've been bored. But today, I came in with plenty of experience in Michael Douglas's catalog, and have a fair deal of experience in the crime and real world drama genres. On top of that, I'm glad I went into this having already seen The Wolf of Wall Street. Personally, I think this is better. The pairing of Martin and Charlie adds a lot to the heart of Bud's character, Michael Douglas is an onscreen treat and it's obvious that the crew put a lot of effort into this script. It's not my genre, but I think someday I'll watch it again. I know the sequel isn't supposed to be as good, but I still really want to see it.
Btw, this is the movie where I finally score Oliver Stone.
= 80
Oliver Stone's Directorial Score (3 Good vs. 0 Bad)
Platoon: 96
Wall Street: 80
Snowden: 76
Score: 84 / 3