Must-See Movies About Wall Street’s Golden Era - Warped Factor - Words in the Key of Geek.

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Must-See Movies About Wall Street’s Golden Era

Nothing defines decadence more than the 1980s. Celebrate the decade of ultra materialism with these must-see movies about the golden era of Walls Street.
Top Flicks About Wall Street’s Golden Era
To the average Joe, financial markets are about as interesting as watching paint dry. Indices, commodities, speculative stocks, blue chip stocks, IPO’s, pump ‘n dump stocks – the list is long and arduous. Luckily, we have Hollywood, the movie machine capable of making almost any subject matter worthy of one’s attention – even that of the stock exchange! Not only has Hollywood churned out films that revolve around the stock market, it’s also made these films interesting and understandable to the general public. While there are a fair amount of movies that showcase the inside world of Wall Street, they are not created equal. Some are average and some are just plane forgettable. However, there are some that are noteworthy, classic, and hilarious, and it’s these flicks about the golden era of Wall Street that are worth checking out.
Wall Street (1987)
The golden era of Wall Street belongs to the 1980s – the era of excess. If there’s one movie that captures all the attributes of this decade, it’s got to be 1987’s Wall Street. Written and directed by Oliver Stone during a time when his career was riding high from the success of 1986’s Platoon, Wall Street paints a picture of what happens when greed and ambition meet in the form of the movies protagonist, if you can call him that, Bud Fox, played by Charlie Sheen. Sheen’s high aspirations meet their match in Gordon Gekko, a ruthless corporate raider played with sheer relish by Michael Douglas. It needs to be noted that Douglas nabbed the Academy Award for best actor for his role in this movie. Fox wants to impress Gekko so badly that he forgoes his morals and ethics, allows himself to be seduced by Gekko, and quickly ascends the corporate ladder. Wall Street is notable for providing examples of how trading works in reality while not letting the viewer get bogged down with too much technical intricacies. It’s a cautionary tale of greed, corruption, and redemption.
American Psycho (2000)
American Psycho is different from the rest of the films that deal with the golden era of Wall Street. For one thing, it’s not about the stock market or the various financial institutions that make up for it. Instead, American Psycho is simply set during this era of decadence to showcase what it believes to be the moral decay an individual might succumb to under such circumstances. Christian Bale, never an actor to disappoint, plays Patrick Bateman, a wealthy investment banker who is in reality a twisted serial killer. Bateman has all the material wealth he could possibly want. His high-rise apartment is swanky, his physique is near-perfect, and his shallow fiancé adores him. Yet he is deeply unhappy and only finds temporary solace in gruesome acts of murder. This film is not for the faint of heart, but has since its release become a cult classic.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street is a dark comedy crime film that showcases the real life of Jordan Belfort, played by the always reliable Leonardo DiCaprio. Set in the heyday of the 1980s, The Wolf of Wall Street is unlike any of the other film based on the financial sector. While it takes place within this environment, the movie is more concerned about the shenanigans of its key characters and what they get up to in their spare time. Nothing is sacred to DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort and his colleagues as they proceed to consume as much drugs and alcohol as humanly possible while also pursuing all kinds of sexual acts. Martin Scorsese, a veteran director with a talent for punchy prose and darkly comedic scenarios, exceeds expectations as he takes you through the lives of what can only be described as a bunch of shameless Wall Street reprobates.

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