The Wall Street Movie Marathon |

What do you do when you are struck with the flu for 4 days and can not think straight? You catch up with some movies. I’ve been planning to watch “Wolf of the Wall Street” for quite some time, and since I had the whole day under my disposal, I threw in the original “Wall Street” and it’s successor “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” into the mix. So some six hours of watching finest cinema later, here are my impressions.

The original “Wall Street” stands out as a cinematic masterpiece. It’s not just the case of a fantastic cast (as Leonardo di Caprio was extraordinary in the “Wolf”), it is just that the film gets you engaged on so many levels (there is inevitably 80’s nostalgia kicking in as well).

The scene where Gordon wakes up Buddy early in the morning, starting the conversation with the money never sleeps line and proceeding with “I’m gonna make you rich enough to afford a girl like Darien. This is your wake up call pal, go to work.” is in my opinion the defining moment of film, one as I would imagine, that got the blood boiling for the generation of 80s and 90s college students and MBAs later to pursue career on the Wall Street.

The second movie, although directed by Oliver Stone like the original, felt hollow, predictable and forced. Can’t really force myself into saying anything else about it, in the company of these two others.

The latest, “Wolf”, is a different beast. It is daring and featuring great acting. I did feel engaged and I think the movie left a message. It however used all the modern Hollywood tools like portraying extreme decadency to get there, so I will take it off from it’s pure cinematic value.

The original “Wall Street” remains an unmatched classic in the genre.

And remember, market is a zero sum game, somebody wins, somebody looses.