Wall Street (1987)

A Classic!

This is a simply a must have. An 80's classic with and excellent perfomance of Michael Douglas, with one of the most powerfull names ever... Gordon Gekko! December 16, 2008

This could happen to anyone!

It's hard to find a really good Charlie Sheen movie but this one is for sure!

The scenario is great because it is something that can happen to anyone. Its particularly prevalent in today's environment because we apparently have ALOT of people just like Bud Fox. A young man finds that in order to get what he wants out of life he has to bend the rules. Then, in true fashion, BIG BROTHER takes him down so that they can turn him on the big fish, Gordon Gekko. I have seen this happen a dozen times in life.

Daryl Hannah, Michael Douglas & Martin Sheen all round out this allstar cast. Put it in your collection. November 29, 2008

Reaganomics At The Beginning

Oliver Stone's "Wall Street" chronicles the rise of unbridled greed, of reckless gambling with the other people's money, of soulless financiers whose God is cash. Some of the details are dated now -- the opening shots of the World Trade Towers, the IBM dumb terminals everywhere, Motorola "brick" wireless phones, the dollar amounts thrown about as astronomical in 1985 -- but the story behind the details and the motivations of the characters are as good a lesson as you're going to find. As a matter of fact, in the extras it is revealed that the director and cast used Bear Stearns as the model for their portrayals. How ironic then that the tagline for the film, "Greed is good," should end up eulogizing the era of narcissistic excess that the movie portrays. November 16, 2008

Blu-Ray Review-80's iconic flick metaphor for decade

The film is a cornerstone for the 80's decade, as it embodies the excessive greed that was typical of this time period. The film was watched on a 42" Panasonic Plasma and BD30K Blu-Ray player. The PQ was not excellent, especially in darker scenes-it contained significant grain and noise, but adequate to enjoy as a hi-def film-3.5/5. The AQ was not overwhelming, but sounds and music were correct for each seen, strong throughout-4/5. Overall quality of transfer for picture and sound 3.5/5.

The ambitious Bud Fox rises to the top under the guidance of a ruthless business man who cuts corners and cuts throats to get ahead. The materialism often documented in the 80's appears full throttle, and all characters in the film, except the token reminder of morality-Bud's Dad, are all infected with the greed. The film is an interesting portrayal of the time period, but also how a person's character can become compromise. The average person could fall prey to glitz and glamor of this "no limits" life style.

In Stone's typical stylistic manner, he executes the film and story arc of the rise and fall of Bud Fox in a well timed manner. In the end Gecko still prevails, despite of his tactics, but it is Bud who saves his father's company, albeit inadvertently being punished for the route the initially chose.

I was in my teens in the 80's, and the decade holds a certain fascination for me. The film is one of my favorites of the era, and is definitely worth seeing. It is not crushed by the same over the top humor and kitch that is present in some of the more light-hearted 80's films, but instead is a more conscious-grabbing serious character examination of the era, and the effect on character that limitless "aquisition" of materialism can cause.

The film is still relevant today, as it seems this greed is still present in our society, and has become an accepted norm and side effect of our capitalistic society. Performances are solid throughout and further/introduce careers of interesting actors, including James Spader. November 12, 2008

Life Mirrors Art

Writer-director Oliver Stone aptly depicts the culture of corporate greed and those who lead that rat pack in an exploration of the morality of placing profits over people.

Michael Douglas does a superb job in portraying corporate raider Gordon Gecko, a 1980s-era, larger-than-life figure who will stop at nothing to quench his thirst professionally and personally. Charlie Sheen is the young Wall Street broker who beats the odds to become a protege of this iconic figure, but becomes entwined in a web trust, truth and doing the right thing with his blue-collar father, played by Martin Sheen.

The white-collar party seems to have no end, as those willing to play the game by day will be rewarded with riches that millions can only dream about. Life mirrors art as the price of pop culture glory is played off the harsh ramifications to the faceless living paycheck-to-paycheck on Main Street.

It is - sadly - a timeless theme when Wall Street becomes a bunker for the greedy few and not an avenue for the many. October 10, 2008

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