Review of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) by Conschobhar — 03 Oct 2010

Am I missing something here? This is one of the worst films I have ever seen. I spent most of the film wondering, "Is this a joke?". One thing I will say is that there are some fine actors in this movie but they play such one dimensional, unlikeable, and inconsistent characters that their talent is completely wasted. Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko is the best part of this movie, but the ending completely ruins that. None of the motives of these characters make any sense, the plot makes no sense, and much of the financial "jargon" used makes no sense. The dialogue is not intelligent, it comes straight from CNBC and Fox News. So many horrible things about this film:

1. Stone's gratuitous special effects.

2. A completely dated look and dull cinematography often makes one wonder if we're still in 1987. I understand Stone was trying to capture the vibe of the original (complete with a David Byrne soundtrack!) but my the result is simply painful to watch for a film set in 2008.

3. An embarrassing cameo from Charlie Sheen.

4. The central romantic pairing is unconvincing and impossible to get behind.

5. The pacing is completely off, never giving a clear sense of time passing and repeatedly relies on newspaper headings and tv anchors to provide narration.

I know better than to go into a Stone film expecting a light touch, but does every aspect of this movie have to ooze heavy handedness? The absolute atrociousness of this film could actually develop into a cult following. Move over Twilight, next time a play a movie drinking game, this will be at the top of my list.