MovieChat Forums > Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010) Discussion > The key problem is Gekko

The key problem is Gekko

posted 13 years ago by doughdee222
11 replies | jump to latest

This film is okay, but I wonder "what were they thinking?"

Here's Gordon Gekko, one of the most iconic characters in American cinema, the epitome of greed, uncaring attitude and wall street shady deals. He's a symbol for what is wrong in the financial markets.

But the writers, and presumably Oliver Stone, decide to totally trash that image. They soften him up and make him pathetic. Even in the first scene the process starts: he leaves prison and no one is available to pick him up. Awwwwww... Later he tells us "Prison gives a man time to think, to focus" (or however that went.) He says his lifestyle and career tactics were wrong and now he just wants to reconcile with his daughter. He's reformed! The prison system works!

BS. They should have had him be colder than ever. He gets out and immediately starts to rebuild his empire. During the film he should be one of those guys who packaged "toxic assets" and sold them as AAA deals. Then as his company collapses he awards himself (via "the Board" of course) a $100 million bonus while he tells the Feds how his company must be bailed out OR ELSE! It should have been Gekko in that room with the Government financiers, not the Josh Brolin character.

Gods. Take one of the great villains of cinema and make him a wimp. I just kept thinking of Anniken Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels.

Stone deserves a good slapping.

-Doughdee222

I'm not "such a Cassandra", I'm Cassandra! --Cassandra

[–] dragonstephen-1 13 years ago

*beep* A , I hate Gekko in this , he's like a shark with no teeth in most of the movie and the reason is because Stone said the one thing he values now is family because money isnt everything but that gets thrown out the window because he rips her off. the only good scene with him is when he gives the speech about the market

On Earth everyone can hear you scream

[–] buckaroobanzai50 13 years ago

It was disappointing. when charlie sheen turned up, it looked quite promising. but he was all limp.

[–] kyotousa 12 years ago

How does he build his empire with $0?

[–] doughdee222 12 years ago

The first half of the film is about "8 years later" after Gekko gets out of jail and he's just a middle-class guy cooling his heels and pining for his daughter. He wrote a book while in jail and travels the country giving lectures to college students. So he keeps himself afloat that way.

In the second half of the film it is revealed he made a $100 million trust fund for his daughter to be given to her when she turns 25 (apparently the courts couldn't touch this money.) The daughter, being angry and distant toward her father doesn't want it and doesn't even consider it hers. Her boyfriend convinces her to take the money and give it to him to invest in a "green" energy company. I forget exactly how but Gordon Gekko gets a hold of this loot and runs off to London, England, and starts a new investment company. Soon enough he's back on top.

-Doughdee222

"Fire me, boy!"

[–] kyotousa 12 years ago

So doughdee222 what's your point? The thread says Gekko suppose to build the empire from the beginning. Which couldn't happen since the daughter went renege and he got $0 cash.

[–] Prismark10 12 years ago

A lot of these Gekko types tend to soften up when they have served some time. Its almost the poacher turned gamekeeper.

Its that man again!!

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] DoctorShemp 10 years ago

He says his lifestyle and career tactics were wrong and now he just wants to reconcile with his daughter. He's reformed! The prison system works!

I took that as part of his "scheme" to get the daughter's money though...

but later when he softens up for real was lame

[–] Jeff0015 10 years ago

I appreciate the thought, but to have gekko pick up where he left off would make it too much like the original, and even worse, would put more emphasis on Shia Lebuef. Gekko did go balls out, but this time as a bear in a bear market. I'm a big fan of this movie.

[–] charli3 10 years ago

Gekko did go balls out, but this time as a bear in a bear market. I'm a big fan of this movie.

"There's fortunes to be made. Hundreds of millions of dollars betting against this bubble. Just wish I had a mill..."

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]