Oliver Stone's Wall Street, Money Never Sleeps

Wall Street, Money Never Sleeps is worth seeing. Gordon Gekko, the arch villain of the original 1987 film, is released from a lengthy prison sentence to start life anew. In the intervening years, his daughter, Winnie, has grown up. Proclaiming abhorrence of all things Wall Street, Winnie has nonetheless fallen in love with a young man named Jacob Moore who is, surprise, a Wall Street trader. Jacob, played by Shia LaBoeuf, represents 'the good'. He isn't in the money game for money alone. Instead, his objective is to raise funds to support development of a technology he believes really will be a game changer in the alternative energy field. He avenges injuries inflicted on his beloved mentor, Lewis Zabel, by hedge fund manager Bretton James. Zabel, played by Frank Langella, committs suicide as a consequence of James's exposure of extensive bad debt held by Zabel's firm. On top of all that, prince Jacob makes best efforts to effect a reconciliation between Gekko and his daughter.

This movie is Shakespearean. Power plays, meetings in oak paneled rooms, accusations and miscommunications, deceptions and betrayals abound. Lewis Zabel's ghost even appears to prince Jacob after Zabel's suicide. Hamlet? As the senior member of the Federal Reserve, Eli Wallach's character functions as the fool. Wallach's ancient of Wall Street appears to be completely batty, yet it is he who anoints or condemns. In this film's world, the wheel of fortune spins rapidly, with money replacing dominion as the crux for conflict.

Shia LaBoeuf was perfect as the young prince. The actor convincingly portrayed innocence, conviction, love and passion. Gordon Gekko is Michael Douglas' character. No one else could ever assume that role. Douglas looked rugged and aged. One imagines that Douglas skipped months of botox treatments. Josh Brolin conveyed perfect evil and duplicity through the vehicle of Bretton James. Susan Sarandon portrayed the quintessential Long Islander as Jacob's mother. Loved seeing Sylvia Miles reappear as a realtor selling Jacob's apartment. They both afforded comic relief. I was not enthralled by Carey Mulligan's performance. Constant resort to tears detracted from her character's depth. Also, the audience never sees real anger, even though Winnie professes to be furious with her father. This was surprising, considering all of the other attention to detail in this film. There is one other plot flaw. Gekko's actions at the end of the film, and I will not be a spoiler, seem inconsistent with his personality. Go and judge for yourself.

Sunrise, sunset

I often wonder whether lyricist Sheldon Harnick and composer Jerry Bock knew that "Fiddler on the Roof" was going to be a hit or, for that matter, a timeless classic. Through the vehicle of the Jewish liturgical cycle, the work addresses universal themes such as the of brevity of life and the swiftness of time's passage. The dispersal of an entire village underscores the frailty of existence of individuals and entire communities. Anatevka was a fictional town in Czarist Russia. Its residents knew that, as Jews, they weren't welcome and that changes were afoot. One day, suddenly it seems, the residents are told that they are to leave. It's over. So, too, in individual lives, gradual changes are barely noticeable. Feet grow, clothes become small, the tooth fairy period comes and goes. Then, one fine morning, everything is different.

We experience childhood, waiting to become teenagers and anxious to assume responsibilities. All of the sudden, we find ourselves out in the real world. Ellen Futter, then the in-coming president of Barnard College, gave a speech at my college graduation. My recollection is that she told us that we would spend the next ten years trying to accomplish specific goals. It would seem like it was taking forever, until ten years had passed and we would wonder how all that time had passed so quickly.

Here we are at Jewish New Years again. Another year is about to begin and another about to end. Instead of a year of gradual change, this is one of great transition for my family. A daughter is about to leave for school and embark on a new adventure. Another has returned home and will be spending her year at a new school. All of the sudden, my time as a full-time stay-at-home mother is coming to a close, but another door is opening. Now, it is time to embark on new adventures. Happy New Year to all.