The Ballad of Rich People

Oliver Stone is arguably well past his career peak. His films haven't received any major award nominations in over fifteen years. Many of his recent titles have barely made back the money spent in making them. W was the presidential film nobody who lived through Dubya's two terms really wanted to see. Alexander was on the same historical fiction plateau as Kingdom of Heaven that filmmakers wanted to create despite nobody filled audience chairs to see them. Any Given Sunday and World Trade Center were successful, but harbor no hopes of being remembered decades from now. No, Oliver Stone will be remembered not for his recent releases, but those released twenty years ago that we still talk about today: titles like JFK, Platoon, and Wall Street. Having not had ample opportunity to make it to the theaters this week (and with few exceptions any reason to go anyway), I dropped by the Redbox and grabbed the sequel to one of Stone's classics Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, taking the chance to catch a film I'd missed last year in the theaters. Though I've never seen the original, this seemed ample opportunity to catch up on the role that won Michael Douglas his Academy Award, and the trailer had been appealing enough to me that I was sure I didn't need to see the original to understand what was going on.

Didn't I see this the same street on Sex and the City?

WSMNS is a revenge tale set astride a backdrop of the current global recession. After eight years of imprisonment for insider trading and securities fraud, Gordon Gekko (Douglas) is released from prison in 2001. Fast forward seven years, and Gekko has become a best-selling author and celebrity lecturer, his face all over CNN and any major network that will have him. Meanwhile, Jake Moore (Shia LaBoeuf) is doing well as an investment banker with Keller Zabel (KZI), a major Wall Street bank. He may be relatively wealthy, but he has good influences in his life, like his girlfriend (and Gekko's estranged daughter) Winnie (Carrie Mulligan), a successful blogger and social activist. He is also raising money for his pet project, a green energy company. All in all, he's a good kid. That changes when  That changes overnight when KZI, which had apparently been just treading water, finally goes under. A bailout to get the company back on track fails thanks to rival banker (Josh Brolin) and with the company in ruins, Jake teams up with Gekko to try and strike back at the man who destroyed Jake's company.

In an attempt to make them more sympathetic, Stone put them on a train. Genius!

If it all seems overly simplistic, that's because I haven't explained everything. There's a LOT going on in the plot, mostly involving character development over moving the actual story forward. This is a positive turn, as far too often character development can be strewn along the wayside in making a concise story, easily followed by the audience. Unfortunately, the story itself is not as good as the characters portrayed, and while the backdrop especially is relevant to the issues we face today, the fact that this story is told from the perspective of which collar rich folk dulls the impact for the average viewer somewhat. Even the poorest characters in the film are a Blogger who racks up fifty times more hits daily than I've had for the entire run on my blog and an author whose media attention is more than that of Steven Levitt and Ben Mezrich COMBINED. Even though some of their causes are noble, not one character's motivation isn't to be wealthier than they currently are.

Brolin still has the occasional Jonah Hex flashback

The acting is pretty amazing here. Of course most of the attention (and rightfully so) has fallen on the shoulders of Douglas, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for his reprisal of the inimitable Gekko. Though it's been more than twenty years since he played this role, Douglas took to it like a second skin, adding bits of new to the comfortable layers of greed and manipulation that he's famous for. Most notable is his desire to reconnect with his daughter. LaBoeuf is surprisingly good as the story's protagonist, Jake. I say "surprisingly" even though he's been good in the few things I've actually seen him in. I guess it's more his choice of movies that puts me off, from Disturbia to Eagle Eye to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. These are NOT good movies, but LaBoeuf is a good performer, and as a good-hearted conniver who sees everything spiral out of control around him, It's easy to forget how privileged he is when you see how hard he works and his faith in good will. I didn't see An Education, so this was the first film I've seen Carrie Mulligan in, and she's also quite good. Torn between her social ethics, the man she loves and the father she can't forgive, she's probably the most sympathetic character in this tale. Brolin once again rides high on his late-career surge, this time as the film's main antagonist. While Brolin does a good job overall, his role is perhaps a tad oversimplified and while still a serious threat, not one you can't imagine being overcome. Frank Langella and Susan Sarandon appear in the film also, and though Langella's role is somewhat on the smallish side as Jake's boss and mentor, he does a good job early on setting the table for the rest of the film. Sadly, Sarandon is a cipher as Jake's real estate investor mother and hence cannot add a lot to the small role she has been assigned.

Obviously never told not to sit with his eyes that close to the screen

For what the original film represents, it's almost too bad this sequel wasn't better reviewed upon release. Then again, since the original existed in Stone's "golden age", it simply simply be that this new film is nowhere near the quality of the first. That wouldn't be surprising, especially given Stone's propensity for visual elements, such as the NYC skyline overlaid with a stock price chart. Stunts like that alone wouldn't be bad, but Stone seems to enjoy doing things like this a bit too much, since every time there's a break in the story, he fills the void with endless similar visual trickery as a bridge. At best, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is a timely, relevant look at the market crash through the eyes of those directly involved, a great exercise in character development, and hosts at least good performances from all involved, and a great one from Michael Douglas. At its worst you have largely useless characters, meandering plot threads and unnecessary twists that make the finale predictable and anti-climactic. In the end, I liked this film, though I feel my appreciation for it would dwindle were I to revisit the original. Stone might no longer be at his peak, but if this is the standard fare he introduces these days, I certainly won't reject any future films of his out of hand.

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Enchanted - The Story Continues . . .

Susan Sarandon who plays Queen Narissa and Prince Edward played by James Marsden

Time to be Enchanted - well at least for some more looks behind the scenes of the movie Enchanted.

We now know that Amy Adams plays Giselle the Snow White based princess in Enchanted who arrives from the animated world to the real world in New York City through a manhole in Times Square.

But is Amy Adams the only princess making an appearance in the movie?

Well, take a guess, and we will cue you in at the end of this story.

Susan Sarandon who plays Queen Narissa

And, how does a fairy tale princess dress in the Big Apple.

Well, in the forest Giselle had her forest friend to help her get dressed and clean up, but whom can she call on for help in New York.

Of course, the local wildlife including those every so helpful sewer rats, pigeons and, of course, those loveable little cockroaches.

Who said you had to drive to the country to enjoy urban wildlife.

Susan Sarandon who plays Queen Narissa is awe inspiring in her stunning, queenly outfit.

From the black bustier corset top, to the metallic gill like embellishments in the gown, to that large black lace see through cape and long black gloves, Susan Sarandon really impresses as Queen Narissa.

With just a raised eyebrow and those blazing eyes, Susan Sarandon can hold an audience spellbound as she shows aspiring actresses just how powerful simple facial expressions can be.

Princess Giselle sings That's How You Know. Similar to the scene in Beauty and the Beast and The Sound of Music.

No wonder Susan says its always fun to be bad.

For those of you who love movie trivia, be sure to watch the scene in Central Park were Giselle sings "That's How You Know".

Watch her, on a small, grassy hill with her arms stretched out behind her as the camera tilts and zooms.

Does the scene seem familiar?

Well, it an exact recreation of a similar scene in "Beauty and the Beast", which scene was based on a famous scene from "The Sound of Music" staring Julie Andrews, who by the way, just happened to be the narrator for Enchanted.

Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) and Princess Ariel (Jodie Benson) the voice of Ariel from The Little Mermaid

Well, before the director's cut comes out on DVD, here is the run down on the other princesses in Enchanted.

Who is the receptionist in Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey) law office?

Well, if you guessed Jodi Benson you are right.

And, who is Jodie Benson, why she was the voice of Ariel from "The Little Mermaid".

In fact, the name of the law firm is Churchill, Harline and Smith which just happens to be composed of the names of the three song writers for "Snow White"!"

And, when Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey) is watching a hotel room television one captures a brief glimpse on the television screen of Paige O'Hara the voice of Belle from "Beauty and the Beast".

So enjoy the trailer from the movie, it opens in the United States on November 21, 2007 and makes a wonderful holiday treat for the whole family.

As they say in the circus, this is a movie for children of all ages.

If you cannot see the above film clip in your e-mail or reader program, just go to Enchanted.

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Enchanted - a New York Romance or a Fairytale?

Princess Giselle
played by Amy Adams
emerges from NYC sewer.

What happens when fairytale characters are vanished from the animated world and join the real world?

Will storybook true love prevail or will the glitter of the big city create a real world love triangle?

And, do princesses, princes and evil queens really emerge from the sewers of New York City?

Well, before will pose too many questions, maybe it better to digress a little, and as they say in the storybooks begin with Once Upon a Time. . .

Princess and Lawyer in Central Park
Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey

In this case, in a city far, far away from the fantasy animation world, sometime referred to as Metropolis, the Big Apple or just plain old New York, New York.

The movie, Enchanted was based on the premise that am animated Princess Giselle based on Snow White and played by Amy Adams is vanished from the animated world into the real world by evil Queen Narissa played by Susan Sarandon.

Anyhow, how could someone not like a movie that brings to life those beautiful gowns and costumes worn by those romatic animated characters?

Prince Edward played by James Marsden
atop his mightly white and blue NYC bus

I just love tons of lacey materials and those layers and layers of underlying petticoats, don't you?

What better way to see a beautiful princess gown, than to watch Giselle (Amy Adams) emerges from a sewer in the heart of Times Square - not far from where The Little Mermaid and The Lion King (now strike bond) play on Broadway.

Queen Narissa played by Susan Sarandon
stops traffic in Time Square

And, what would it be like to find a real live princess in New York City?

Especially, if you are a divorce attorney practicing in New York City.

In this case, the third piece of this romantic love triangle is New York City divorce attorney played by Patrick Dempsey who come to the aid of Amy Adams - Princess Giselle.

Least we not forget, Princess Giselle original animated prince charming Prince Edward played by James Marsden who brings this character - the flawless prince in all of his peacockish style - to the big screen and who also manages to spring into his real life version through a manhole in the center of Time Square.

And, how does a princess find a fashion designer in the Big Apple?

Well, stay tuned, as the saga will continue. . .

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