Wall Street : Money Never Sleeps

Review by Anthony Morris

For a film set in the world of high finance during the global financial crisis, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps never seems all that concerned with money. 

There are almost no scenes of excess, only one supporting character gets into trouble when the US economy tanks (in fact, there's only one supporting character who has an actual proper job), and while massive numbers are thrown around casually (a billion is chump change here), they're only ever just numbers, devoid of any meaning in the real world. 

So those hoping for a savage takedown of the system that broke America will leave Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps as disappointed as a Lehman Brothers shareholder, as this proves to merely be a family drama played out against a backdrop of solid money. 

Still, maybe director Oliver Stone is telling us that money doesn't really matter (so long as you have millions in a trust fund) - it's family that's important. 

That's certainly a sentiment that drives the plot, as ex‑con Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas) tries to get back in the good graces of his daughter (Carey Mulligan) while her Wall Street fiance (Shia LaBeouf) clashes with a business rival (Josh Brolin) who he blames for the suicide of his mentor. 

Oliver Stone's created a film that's undeniably energetic, but not always in a good way...

Some of his visual metaphors are so ham-fisted (kids are playing with soap bubbles while characters talk about the "bubble" economy) are laughable, but it's the same kind of laboured points his stock market salespeople use to try and sell investors on stocks.

So maybe, just maybe, Stone is using the same approach to get us to "buy" what he's selling? 

Even so, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps clearly lacks the clarity and satire of the original (no clear-cut tussle between good and evil here), but survives thanks to solid performances and a clear sense of its own iconography.

When Gekko finally gets to slick his hair back 80's style it's like watching Clint Eastwood ride into town with a sixgun on his hip.

4 out of 5

Wall Street : Money Never Sleeps
Australian release: 23rd September, 2010
Official Site: Wall Street : Money Never Sleeps
Cast: Michael Douglas, Carey Mulligan, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Charlie Sheen, Susan Sarandon
Director: Oliver Stone