Is Greed Still Good?

It’s been over twenty years coming, but the sequel to Oliver Stone’s 80s-defining Wall Street is almost here. Michael Douglas is back as corporate raider Gordon Gekko who, after a lengthy prison stint, is looking to repair his relationship with his daughter (Carey Mulligan) by endearing himself to her trader boyfriend, played by Shia LaBeouf. Plotted around the 2008 crash (which the disgraced Gekko predicts in vain, as none of his former colleagues will heed his warnings) and containing lines like “Someone reminded me that I once said, ‘Greed is good’–now, it seems, it’s legal,” the movie would seem to be nothing if not topical. It’s not out until April–hopefully, it will seem less relevant by then–but the trailer (above) is worth watching, if only for the shot of Mr. Gekko’s primitive “mobile phone.”