I was finally able to see Conviction last night after waiting, for what seemed like forever, for it to be in wide release.  I only had to see the trailer once to know that this was a movie that I had to see!  I love movies that are based on a true story and especially incredible stories like this one... 

Conviction is based on the true story of Betty Anne Waters, played by Hilary Swank, whose brother, Kenneth Waters, played by Sam Rockwell,  is convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole.  To defend Kenny, Betty Anne pushes herself to the limit and gets her GED, a B.A., puts herself through law school and finally passes the bar, all while raising two boys.  She ultimately dedicates her whole life to making sure her brother, who she believes has been wrongfully convicted, is acquitted and set free.  This story is an incredible testament to the power of love and the unbreakable bond between a brother and a sister.  It is a love story unlike the usual romantic comedies and classical romances that I am used to.  This is a love story where family comes first, and there is nothing else without it.  This movie displayed how truly amazing love is! While it can make you do crazy things, it can also push you to places where you never thought you could go and achieve what you thought was unachievable.

It's twenty years later and we're back on Wall Street, Oliver Stone's Wall Street that is, but this time it's a little different.  Gordon Gekko has just been released from jail and is seemingly broke.  He finds himself riding the subway instead of getting chauffeured from place to place; a change that Gekko is definitely not used to.  We then meet Gekko's daughter, Winnie played by Carey Mulligan, and her boyfriend, Jake played by Shia LeBouf.  Jake is a Wall Street exec himself and Winnie is the complete opposite, wanting nothing to do with finance or her father who longs to build a relationship with her and looks to Jake to help him do so.  The question you will ask yourself is whether Gekko has changed or if the saying holds true that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks".

What is lacking from Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is the fast-paced nature that I loved in Wall Street.  In Wall Street, as some of you might remember, there was a sense of urgency to the script.  The audience was on the edge of their seats, waiting for what would happen next and if  Bud Fox's actions would catch up to him.  

It was nice, however, to see Charlie Sheen make a cameo in Wall Street 2 but that wasn't enough for the movie to make a lasting impression on me.

This is one sequel that I could have waited to see on dvd.  It took me quite a while to finish this commentary, considering I saw this film on opening night, but I was just not compelled to write on the movie.  It wasn't horrible...it just is what is...not really worth the time.