Culturebox: Gekko Never Sleeps

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movies Gekko Never Sleeps Michael Douglas returns in Wall Street 2. By Dana Stevens Posted Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010, at 5:46 PM ET Never let it be said that Oliver Stone doesn't take advantage of a newsy opportunity. His last two films, World Trade Center and W, re-imagined recent events from American political history--the first as sentimental humanist drama, the second (more effectively, for this viewer) as satire. For Stone to have left the financial crisis of 2008 cinematically unplumbed would be like Gordon Gekko neglecting to exploit an insider tip on a failing company. So, with the uncynical opportunism and merry lack of subtlety that's his wont, Stone has brought Gekko, the greed-extolling villain of his 1987 smash hit Wall Street, back to life. Twenty-five years into his directorial career, audiences know that we don't go to Oliver Stone for nuance. We go to him for big, brash, sweeping morality tales and firebrand conspiracy theories, for entertainment and catharsis. And for all of the weaknesses of Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps (20th Century Fox) as a stand-alone movie--it's narratively overstuffed, clumsily paced, and ultimately unsure of how to present the charming moral monster at its center--the movie provides entertainment and catharsis in lavish dollops. To continue reading, click here. Dana Stevens is Slate's movie critic. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate The Republican Addiction to Federal Spending Why Are People in Colorado So Skinny? Lithwick: NBC's Outlaw Is Deeply Cynical, Wholly Unbelievable, and Weirdly Conservative	Advertisement
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