Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (a.k.a. Wall Street 2)

There’s just no consistency when it comes to reviews of this movie. I have friends who hated it, parents who loved it, and I just can’t decide. I think the topic that’s swaying people both ways was the movie’s portrayal of the actual Wall Street and the financial lingo that went along with it. I’m no good with numbers. I got a C in Accounting. But I’m fine with that and Hollywood should be as well. What I don’t understand is why, in the movie, they even made a joke about how NO ONE knows what half of the jargon means. Isn’t that a clue that the rest of us won’t know either?

 

I still really enjoyed watching the movie. The star-studded cast pleased my eyes which included everyone from Michael Douglas, Josh Brolin, and Shia LaBeouf to newcomer Carey Mulligan and Eli Wallach (the cute old man from The Holiday who explains the meaning of gumption). The plot of the movie actually mimicked the stock market crash of 2008. It was interesting and yet sad to see how the downfall of our economy happened and how it affected so many people in different ways: a suicide, a hostile takeover, lies, tears, and even reconnections with loved ones. Carey Mulligan was mainly responsible for the tears; I don’t think there was a scene in the whole movie where her eyes didn’t well up. The crazy talk of bubbles and moral hazard really did set the themes for the movie and yet, I couldn’t explain to you what a bubble is. Like I said, I enjoyed watching the movie but the analysis part isn’t really an easy homework project for me.

 

Things I will take away from this movie:

• Josh Brolin is a great actor and an even better villain.
• NINJA Generation = No Income, No Job, No Assets
• Never trust someone whose motto used to be “Greed Is Good”.
• The rumor mill within the financial world can be 1000X more detrimental than middle school.
• When Eli Wallach whistles, he’s trying to tell us the apocalypse is coming (though I’m still not sure why).
• Breaking one big story on a blog can gain you fame and fortune, though usually you’re not working for a non-profit blog for that purpose.

 

Spend or Save? Spend…but only because I foresee myself wanting to watch this again to really understand what it meant.

So Many Movies...So Little Money

There are more than my bank account’s worth of movies that I am just dying to see in the coming weeks!!  Here’s a list of some of my chart-toppers…whatayathink?

Wall Street:  Money Never Sleeps

I saw the first one per the request of my dad.  He said “Gordon Gekko’s a character,” and I can’t help but to agree with him.  I hated him for the majority of the first movie, but it was probs an awesome role to play.  Anyway…this movie looks like the perfect combination of wealth, greed, sophistication, and crookedness.  Shia LaBeouf is one of my favorite Young Hollywood actors and it looks like he nails it.  It should also be interesting to see his relationship on-screen with his off-screen girlfriend, Carey Mulligan.

Easy A

To call something “The New Mean Girls” is just unacceptable.  Unless, of course, it lives up to its name.  Emma Stone is a funny female actress, a rarity in Hollywood, and I think she could play her part really well.  Mix in some great one-liners and I’d put it in the running.

The Town

So I was seeing some other movie and while waiting for the previews to start, some kid starts talking about how this movie, The Town, is like The Departed.  Well, The Departed is another one of my favorite movies and in my opinion, you can’t just go around saying stuff like that.  No one has ever been more surprised by an ending like that to a movie since The Sixth Sense.  Comparison aside, this movie has potential.  Ben Affleck writing/directing anything has potential, let’s be serious.  It looks like they’ve cast a lot of well-known stars so I’m interested in seeing whether or not I believe them playing their roles altogether in one movie. 

The Social Network

I love Facebook.  It’s the most brilliant distraction tool ever invented.  And now, we get to see the drama behind its creation.  Plus, Kanye West’s “Power” in the trailer is perfect.

127 Hours

I kinda remember hearing the story about Aron Ralston who had to cut off his own arm after being trapped under a rock for five days.  Now it’s being made into a movie?  And it stars James Franco?  And the majority of the movie takes place while he’s trapped under a rock?  Wait, what?  Nevermind, I’m there.

Catfish

A true story.  I’ve heard that one before.  But this one is oddly believable.  It’s about some kid who kindles a relationship with a girl through, what else, Facebook.  He’s getting serious with her and decides he’s gonna take a trip to her house and surprise her.  At this point, s**t starts getting weird.  They don’t reveal much in the trailer because IT’S THAT GOOD. 

So that’s pretty much my fall movie wishlist.  Please let the rain pour down so I can collect my $20 every time I mow the lawn.  I’m gonna need a lot of money for this line-up.  Fasy and I will do our best to catch some of these flicks and review them for all of you out there.  Adios!