Enough is enough

Really? This was necessary? Why? What’s the point? OK, I suppose revisiting Wall Street all these years later is timely, given the banking crisis and resultant global meltdown.

Really? This was necessary? Why? What’s the point? OK, I suppose revisiting Wall Street all these years later is timely, given the banking crisis and resultant global meltdown. I’ll allow you that, albeit grudgingly. But this is celebratory in tone, rather than outraged. You will want to shake it and shout, ‘Goddamn it, get angry!’ It sheds no new light on anything. It says zilch. There is no point.

It simply recycles the same morality fable, and the same characters, right down to the wide-eyed rookie who worships Gordon Gekko, is wooed by the promise of wealth and power, and is then shafted for his trouble. In 1987, it was Charlie Sheen. This time, it’s Shia LeBeouf, who, even in the snappy suits, seems no older than 13. He looks as imposing as a bar mitzvah boy. Why is he a movie star? Why? Why? Michael Douglas, in reprising Gekko, does appear to be having fun, but why should I care if Michael Douglas is having fun or not? He’s nothing to me; nothing. And that’s Catherine’s look-out; anyhow, I guess if Oliver Stone isn’t going to get angry, I’m going to have to do it on his behalf. Great. Like I don’t have enough to do already.

This Wall Street is subtitled Money Never Sleeps, which, at least, is true enough. Mine’s gone before I get up and is rarely home before I go to bed. ‘I just don’t know where it goes,’ I’m always saying. So I’ll also give you that, but that’s it. No more concessions.