Wall Street (1987)

If there were ever to be a film to demonstrate to youngsters the toxic effects of greed on someone then you'd struggle to find a more apt one than this. Made at the height of the stock market boom, it tells the tale of the naive but ambitious "Bud Fox" (Charlie Sheen) who devises a get-rich-quick scheme that attracts the attention of his super-venal boss "Gekko" (a superb Michael Douglas) who treats scruples like something unpleasant he had just trodden on. What now ensues is a break-neck course in how avarice; manipulation; a certain degree of luck and loads of sheer brass neck take him from being a bit of an home boy, to living in a fancy loft apartment, bathing in champagne and alienating both his erstwhile colleagues and his working class father "Carl" (Martin Sheen). It is only when a scheme that involves that latter man's airline employer is front and centre on planet "Gekko" that the young man starts to realise what's happening and with the help of Briton "Sir Larry Wildman" (a rather too plausible Terence Stamp) changes course a little. It has a very effective supporting cast; the writing and direction from Oliver Stone is quickly paced and well focussed and the story itself shows the rat race in as true a cinematic rendition as I have ever seen. Sure, the shoulder pads and costumes have dated since 1987, but the principles of a dog-eat-dog world are just as worthy of exposure now as they were then.

'Wall Street' makes for an interesting watch, anything to do with the titular financial market is total gobbledygook to me but even I was fairly hooked throughout. The performances of Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen are top notch, so no surprise it turns out to be very good. I would say that the pacing is not the best, it probably overstays its welcome a bit, though to be honest that's the only thing I have to list under negatives and it's not even a big one. The relatively more energetic ending does do a fair bit to quell any serious run time issues.