Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

I belched when I heard that Shia LaBeouf was playing the lead in the sequel to Wall Street which I did a retro review on here. It was bad enough that they were doing a follow up to one of the most iconic film of the 80s but to choose a dud to play the lead was a really bad start. I have only seen LaBeouf in one film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, where he played the geeky Sam Witwicky to perfection but as far as I was concerned he should not be mentioned in the same breath as the mighty Gordon Gekko. So off I traipsed down to my local cinema to have a peep at Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps to find out if my initial concerns were right. The film commences with Gordon Gekko played by Michael Douglas being released from jail, now this bit is hilarious because it really demonstrates how Wall Street symbolised the era of the 80s. As with prison protocol Gekko is reunited with the possessions he walked into prison with; a rolex watch, a gold money clip and a mobile phone as large as brick. Now this made me laugh out loud. The second bit that made me laugh was when Gekko walks out of the prison and sees a limo headed towards him which he automatically assumes is his but turns out to be for some rapper from nowhere who is being picked up by his homies. You begin to emphasise with Gekko then because not only has no-one come to pick him up, life has simply moved on without him.

Now onto the story; Jake Moore played by Shia LaBeouf  is the Bud Fox of this movie. Jake is a successful  trader who is also in a long term relationship with Winnie played by Carey Mulligan and  coincidentally Gekko's estranged daughter. At work Jake is mentored by Lewis Zabel, whose major investment bank, Keller Zabel is in serious financial trouble. When Keller Zabel like all the other investment banks crash Zabel is refused a bank bailout by Bretton James played by James Brolin the CEO of Churchill Schwartz and is forced to sell his stock to Bretton at a pittance. Totally broken and with no way out, Zabel commits suicide leaving Jake devastated. However he takes on Zabel's advice to marry Winnie and create a life outside of work. In the meantime Gekko seems to have reinvented himself as some sort of financial guru with bestselling books and sold out lectures warning people about the pending economic downturn. After attending one of his lectures Jake seeks him out and introduces himself as Winnie's future husband and the two men strike up a 'friendship'. Gekko more or less informs Jake that it was Bretin who is responsible for Zabel's downfall and Jake plans his revenge. They make a deal that Jake will reunite Gekko with his daughter and in return Gekko will supply Jake with information that will destroy Bretton.

I thought the whole scenario of the film was ludicrous; the soon to be son-in-law of Gekko forming alliances with him in return for getting him his daughter back who blames him for her brother committing suicide. It was all so cliche. Strange as I don't remember Gekko having two kids - a baby yes but not two children. I also thought that the story was too overloaded with Bretton as the villain, Jake as the wide-eyed kid and Gekko now as some sort of anti-hero. Another criticism was Winnie - I found her to be really soppy and I hated her whole left wing philosophy along with her trendy left website. It just seemed so fake and an obvious set up to polarise her from her father. We are supposed to buy into the theory that an avid believer of left wing politics who invests lots of money into a political website is about to marry a money obsessed banker who is not too different from her father? Finally my first reaction was correct, Shia LaBeouf was all wrong for this, he is just simply too bland. They should have gone for Ed Westwick aka Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl. One good thing about the film is the way they incorporate the current financial situation with the collapse of the banks and traders losing their jobs. Also I like the fact that greed is still a running theme in the movie on different levels for example Jake's former care worker turned real estate mother who is obsessed with making money. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps starts off really well but then skids to a screechy halt. I would advise you to wait for it to come out on DVD. Oh and Bud Fox played by Charles Sheen makes a cameo in the film, blink and you miss it.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is out in cinemas now.

Made in NYC

One of the charms of the film Wall Street was the way it featured the heartbeat of Manhattan and how exciting life is in the Big Apple. I admit I am a sucker for films and shows based on NYC. Carrie Bradshaw told Miranda in our beloved Sex and the City that she was having a love affair with the city. Who can blame the gal; with it's funky boutiques, wonderful galleries, great restaurants and superb nightlife along with it's vibrant and diverse neighbourhoods - New York may be small but it certainly packs a punch. It also looks great on the eye so it is no surprise that the most famous city in the world has been featured in thousands of films and TV shows. The Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting was founded in 1966 and this kicked off an explosion of productions made in NYC. There are classic films such as the ones made by Woody Allen and Martin Scorcese and TV shows like Seinfeld and Spin City and I have listed the ones that have made an impact on me.

Films

Sex and the City: The Movie
Last year everyone went agog over the much aniticipated release of the S&TC film. Scenes wee shot at Bryant Park when the quartet attend Fashion Week, Park Avenue where Charlotte resides with Harry and Lilly, Fifth Avenue at Carrie and Big's swish new penthouse, Deklab Avenue in Brooklyn where Miranda lived with Steve, Lower East Side where she moved to after their break up and of course Central Park.

The Devil Wears Prada
This film was one of the most glamorous of recent times and showed the drama of working on one of the glossiest magazines around. It featured areas such as the Lower East Side where our protagonist, Andrea Sachs lived, the Tribeca where she hanged out with her fella and pals and the Upper East Side where boss from hell, Miranda Priestly lived.

Working Girl
Melanie Griffiths stars as Tess McGill in a rags to riches story based in the boardroom. The film is shot in locations such as Staten Island where she lived and Bowling Green where she worked.

You've Got Mail
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan reunite to play two star crossed lovers who communicate by email in the Big Apple. This film showed a really romantic look of the city with a 40s vibe that is very care free. Scenes took place primarily on the Upper West Side where both characters lived and also where their rival bookstores were based.

An Affair to Remember
Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant play star crossed lover in this classic film. It will always be synonymous with the Empire State Building where the two lovers were supposed to meet till tragedy hit. An Affair to Remember also inspired the hit film, Sleepless in Seattle.

Breakfast at Tiffany's
One of my favourite movies of all the time. Never mind the dialogue, I just loved watching the scenery and the fashion. This is the film that put the ever so glamorous store Tiffany's on the map. Interesting to find out that while most of the outside shots were filmed in Manhattan, a lot of the inside ones were filmed in Hollywood.

Other films that made an impression are Spike Lee's films such Do The Right Thing, Mo Better Blues and Crooklyn that gave a great insight into Brooklyn. Also Ghost, Desperately Seeking Susan, Confessions of a Shopaholic, It Could Happen to You, 10 Ways to Lose a Guy, Cruel Intentions, Cruel Intentions, What Women Want and As Good As it Gets focused on certain areas in Manhattan.

TV Shows

Gossip Girl
As well as the frolics from the upper classes, Gossip Girl shows off the lushness of the Upper East Side, Fifth Avenue and Central Park where Serena, Blair and co inhabit. However, it gives us an insight into the funkiness of Williamsburg in Brooklyn where all the hipsters such as Vanessa, Dan and Jenny live.

Sex and the City
S&TC creator, Darren Star often said that New York was the fifth character in the show and I don't think he could have put it better. The four women have NYC as their playground and the show concentrates on areas such as the Meatpacking District where Samantha's retro pad is and Upper West Side where Miranda's single ladies apartment is. The Upper East Side is important to the show as that is not only where Charlotte and Carrie have their apartments but it is alsowhere Jimmy Choo, Manola Blahnik and lavish department store, Barneys are based.

Ugly Betty
Often dubbed the TV version of The Devil Wears Prada but Ugly Betty is much more than that. Since it burst onto our scenes two years sgo, Ugly Betty has become a global success and won many prestigious awards. It is hard to believe but the first two seasons of this popular series were filmed in LA. Only the pilot was made in NYC.

Lipstick Jungle
Three women take on NYC juggling high powered careers, families while wearing stilettos. Scenes are filmed in 501 Broadway, Rockland Lake State Park and Nyack Beach State Park.

Friends
Ok I admit it, I am cheating a bit here as Friends was filmed on sets in LA and NYC was only used for outside shots of the apartment block that Monica, Rachel, Chandler and Joey lived in. However Paramount really do a fantastic replica of Manhattan with the fabulous apartments and the cool coffee shop set in Greenwich Village.

Will and Grace
I was not a huge fan of this show and I could not stand Grace but I loved the apartment she shared with Will. It really represented a true Manhattan loft because it was so wide and spacious. Like Friends this was filmed in LA but the exterior shots were all NYC.

Other TV shows that come to mind are Cashmere Mafia, Law and Order and Spin City.

If you are interested in the production of films and TV in the Big Apple then you will love Made in NY which is a series of podcasts that hold walking tours of film and TV locations in NYC. So if you are in NYC and fancy checking out famous shooting scenes then all you need to do is download it onto your iPod and off you go. Whatever you do, don't forget the S&TC tour where you can see the locations from the series. Check out a fantastic review from Vex in the City.

So what are your favourite films and TV shows set in NYC and why?

Retro Review: Wall Street

"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good," Gordon Gekko in Wall Street circa 1987.

Bud Fox played by Charlie Sheen is a bright, hungry and ambitious stockbroker who punches in hours at Wall Street, the financial district of Manhattan. While his colleagues look forward to bringing in a six figure salary and retiring with a huge pension along with a massive house in Connecticut, Bud longs for more. His idol is arbitrageur, Gordon Gekko played by Michael Douglas; a man who eats dragons for breakfast and is worth $650. Gekko is Bud's passport out of a life that he regards as mediocre and into one that he craves. After being granted a rare meeting with Mr Gekko, Bud manages to impress him by giving him some inside tips about the airline company that his father works for. This earns Gekko a small fortune and he manipulates Bud into giving him more inside info which puts Bud's career at risk. The 'partnership' with Gekko pays off and pretty soon, Bud is living his ultimate dream. He has a cool bachelor pad on the exclusive Upper East Side, designer suits that start at $500 a pop as well the obligatory leggy blonde girlfriend. His lifestyle goes completely against his father's ethos which is anti capitalism. Bud's father played by Sheen's real Daddy - Martin, is union leader for Bluestar airlines and often urges him to find a more meaningful job. His advice falls on deaf ears as Bud gets more embroiled into the trappings of money and moves further and further into Gekko's clutches.


If any film defined the 80s then this was it; Wall Street represents the excesses of an era that was based on power, consumption and greed. Gordon Gekko with his flash hand made suits, colourful braces and slicked back hair was the epitome of that era. This was the film that put stockbroking and yuppiedom into the mainstream and made it look glamorous. Remember Capital City, the British TV series that was about a group of investment bankers in the city of London? Wall Street was released in 1987 and made a huge impact financially and culturally. The film grossed just over $4 million in the opening weekend and went to make a whooping $43 million in the states. Michael Douglas was praised for his remarkable performance as the charismatic Gekko and went on to win an Oscar. Oliver Stone who based the film on his father who was a former stockbroker really created a gem of a movie here. I have just heard that there is to be a Wall Street 2 with Michael Douglas reprising his role as Gekko. The film will be released next year.