Summary: Jake Moore (Shia LaBeof) is a young gun who is rising in the world of Wall Street. He is also in a lovely relationship with Winnie (Carey Mulligan) whose father is the infamous Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglas). Gecko has been released from prison and is writing a book while trying to come to terms that he is no longer who he once was. Jake has his world thrown into a crisis when his firm gets hammered and is on the edge of collapse.
Review: Shia LaBeouf is the next superstar actor in America. Michael Douglas reprises his role as Gordon Gecko well. Josh Brolin plays a banker well despite his limited screen times. The lessons of the movie extend to well beyond just its financial depictions of America today again. Those lessons are accurate however with the bailouts and the bankers that profited while shorting the same cdo's and insurance they sold to their clients. Jake's firm is reminiscent of Bear Stern's while the winner of Bretton James' (Josh Brolin) firm is obviously Goldman Sach. It also does a fantastic job of hammering in the concept of moral hazard being the simple definition of people taking excessive risks when it isn't their money.
Further Question/Philosophy/Theme: Are bubbles not only a cycle in the financial markets, but of life in general? When will the excesses of Wall Street stop? Why has America become a country of socializing risk and privatizing profits or has it always been this way? The human elements in the movie were also touching as it shows one man's redemption while realizing the importance of the important things of life.
Power Rating (Out of 5): 4 This was a fantastic movie and did well in tying in the current financial crisis on Wall Street. The first one was appropriate for the times, and the second one even more appropriate for the current times. There is an important lesson to be learned from this movie about the human nature and sometimes it might even feel good to be a realist.
Favorite Quotes: Jacob Moore: If it weren't for people who took risks, where would we be in this world?
Gordon Gekko: It's not about the money. It's about the game between people.
Gordon Gekko: Payback. Except I'm not in that business anymore - because the one thing I learned in jail is that money is not the prime asset in life. Time is.
Gordon Gekko: Stop telling lies about me and I'll stop telling the truth about you.
Bud Fox: So, does Blue Horseshoe still love Anacott Steel?
Gordon Gekko: "Someone reminded me I once said, 'Greed is good' Now it seems that it's legal because everyone is drinking the same Kool-Aid."
Jacob Moore: "Bubbles are evolutionary. They kill excess, lean out the heard, but they are never completely destroyed. They just come back in different forms and when they burst they give light to a new day, always creating change."
Gordon Gekko: "I've been considered a pretty smart guy and maybe I was in prison too long. But sometimes it's the only place to stay sane and look out through those bars and say, 'Is everybody out there nuts?!"
Gordon Gekko [Speaking to an audience of college students]: "You are part of the NINJA generation. No Income. No jobs. No assets."
Gordon Gekko: "A fisherman always sees another fisherman from afar...I think you ougtha start calling me,Gordon"
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