Wall Street (1987)

I know, I know. I should have watched this movie years ago. I didn't, so deal with it. That being said, I was still not disappointed. The fast talking and fast moving world of the 1980s never looked so...good?

Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) is a young, upstart stockbroker who is just trying to make a buck for his clients and spread the best information to make them the most money. Subtext: He's not very good at it. Bud feels that the one person who can help him get the tips/money/notoriety that he deserves is Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). Gekko is the king of "don't call it insider" insider trading. Gekko is the man who has a plan to make the the rich get richer, and Bud wants in on the ground floor. After Bud gives Gekko a tip that sort of pans out, Gordon takes him under his wing to make him a Wall Street superpower. Bud gets the money, gets the notoriety, gets the girl (Daryl Hannah). However, one things leads to another and Bud causes a series of events that may result in his father (real life dad Martin Sheen) losing his job after 20+ years. How is Bud going to right his wrong? Better question: Will Gordon let him?

What ever happened to Charlie Sheen acting THIS good in a movie? Or anything for that matter. Either way, this was Michael Douglas' film. He empowered every single frame he was on the screen. Gordon Gekko was not a good man, and Douglas made sure that you knew that. Oliver Stone managed to weave his way from one point to the next so seamlessly. It's a shame his more recent movies haven't been able to capture that as well as this film. I know a lot of you have seen this, but maybe this will spark interest to watch it again.

King of California (2007)

What a quirky, fun dramedy. Much more comedy than drama, but it definitely had heart. Michael Douglas is one of those actors who can create different characters without really changing that much about him.

Charlie (Douglas) was just released from a mental institution and was picked up by his 16-year-old daughter, Miranda (Evan Rachel Wood). Miranda has been looking out for herself and on her own since her father was locked up. She dropped out of a high school to make money. Since being released, Charlie's got a plan to scour California for Spanish explorer Father Juan Florismarte Torres' treasure. As crazy as he seems, he's trying to use this as an opportunity to reconnect with Miranda, who starts to believe him and his ramblings.

This movie was a lot of fun. I had a great time watching these two characters interact with each other and learn to deal with one another. Douglas and Wood have a great father-daughter chemistry on camera. I definitely recommend this movie. It's not too soft to be taken lightly and not too hard to be taken seriously.