Review: ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’ is a glaring exposé of greed

With ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’, director Oliver Stone is back to the business with a sequel to his late eighties hit ‘Wall Street’, reprising his anti-hero Gordon Gekko and the murkier world of capitalism. Stone portrays an aged Gordon Gekko(Michael Douglas), who is out after spending an eight-year jail term for his financial delinquencies as he enters the world of financial crisis.

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With ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’, director Oliver Stone is back to the business with a sequel to his late eighties hit ‘Wall Street’, reprising his anti-hero Gordon Gekko and the murkier world of capitalism. Starring Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Carrie Mulligan and Josh Brolin, Stone portrays an aged Gekko (Michael Douglas), who is out after spending an eight-year jail term for his financial delinquencies as he enters the world of financial crisis. This time around, Gekko comes across Jake Moore (Shia LaBeouf), an energy trader who soon becomes his protégé and a prospective son-in-law. Yet, before Gekko can lay out his plans to change the dwindling world order of subprime crisis and struggling economies, he is faced with the biggest challenge of his life – befriending his estranged daughter (Carrie Milligan). Out of prison, Gekko is a lonely man whose daughter blames him for all the family travails – including the death of her brother. Our economist Gekko has learnt the biggest lesson of his life in the last years, yet, he still struggles with the demons of greed. Is greed really good or bad? On his journey of self-discovery, Gekko wants to acclaim his lost glory, family, wealth and most importantly Wall Street which is suddenly facing the biggest financial catastrophe of recession. In his road to salvation, Gekko is joined by Jake, who has various motives – revenge of the death of his father and patch-up between Gekko and his daughter apart from learning the tricks of trade. Apparently, Stone’s sequel to ‘Wall Street’ takes a deep look at the global financial crisis in a dramatic and enthralling manner. ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’ looks slick like a thriller with some of the best lines mouthed by new-age economist in Gekko Gordon. Well, Gekko is not all about being an uptight corporate guy as age and experience has mellowed him down. Check out Gekko breaking down before his daughter and crying for forgiveness. Apart from exhilarating performances by Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf and Carrie Milligan, watch out for Josh Brolin who plays an arrogant Bretton James – a securities firm head who becomes the arch nemesis of Gekko. In all, ‘Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps’ is about our times as it just showcases that greed is a vicious circle and money never sleeps. Ratings: Three cheers for this one!