When I first saw Wall Street about 20 years ago, I loved Michael Douglas’ performance. For me, it represented a complete fusing of actor and role. Add to that, director Oliver Stone’s willingness to do long, uninterrupted takes (particularly during monologues) and what came through was some truly fine writing, compelling acting and it was all wonderfully shot.
The triumvirate of Douglas, Charlie Sheen and Martin Sheen really drive this movie. And throwing in John C. MGinley in a supporting role, filling out the second tier with James Karen and Hal Holbrook you have some fantasically solid performances. Granted, once you hit up the female side of the equation, things kinda drop a bit. Through no fault of her own, Daryl Hannah is a bit mis-cast. Her demeanor and her delivery just don’t wash as a high-end interior designer and Sean Young is completely miscast as Douglas’ wife. She just comes off as an after-thought. Luckily, neither of these roles are truly important to the story being told - so their sub-par casting and performances don’t hamstring the movie very much.
What amounts to basically a morality tale, Wall Street simply shines. Watching it again after two decades, I had a brief moment of the film being horribly dated - it being one of the hallmarks of 80’s cinema. However, the designers (costumer, set, etc.) nailed it, going with classical design options and staying away from overtly contemporary design choices. These add to an ultimately timeless and classical look.
Wall Street survives as a clear time capsule of that time in America. A time that would eventually implode with the Stock Market Bubble of the mid-90’s, but it was still a time that epitomized the “Me” generation and did so shamelessly.
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