wall street: money never sleeps

I finally found time to watch Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (or Wall Street 2) which starred Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf and directed by Oliver Stone. The movie was released in 2010 as a sequel to the original film Wall Street in 1987.

The film was set 23 years after the sequel and revolves around the 2008 financial crisis. The plot focuses on the reformation of Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas (a reprise of his role from the original movie), with him being more of an antihero rather than a villain. He was shown publishing books and warning people and Wall Street of its impending market crash as well as trying to repair his relationship with his estranged daughter Winnie (Carey Mulligan) with the help of her fiancé Jacob "Jake" Moore (Shia LaBeouf), a proprietary trader for an investment bank. In return for Jake's help, Gordon helps Jake get revenge on the person he blames responsible for the death of his mentor.

The cast portrayed their roles well and one of the things that stuck to my mind was a picture of how greed for money can change everything. When money becomes the reason for being, it can bring out the monster within a person. Aside from that, I learned a lot from what could be happening on Wall Street and stock markets in general. Now, I know what principles to consider when investing in our financial industry.

ang tanging ina - last na nga ba to?

When the entries for the Manila Film Festival were made known, my wife and I planned to watch Tanging Ina Last Na To!, the third movie in the supposed trilogy. I did not have much expectations from the movie since it was the third installment and usually movie depreciate as the sequels are done (with the exception of a few). However, when I learned that the movie garnered a number of awards including Ai Ai de las Alas, the main star of the movie, getting a Best Actress award, I got curious and really wanted to see the movie.

The laughter you get from the movie's funny scenes were not as stomach-cramping as the first movie, rather, it was both heart-warming and funny. Further, it showed the heart of most Filipino mothers - how they value their families and how they love their children. Aside from watching it this Christmas, I believe this movie is also good for Mother's Day.

A salute to our mother and all the mothers who love unconditionally and work hard to keep their family together.

a superhero like no other

A while ago we watched Megamind at Robinson's Movieworld. The movie was about Megamind, a highly intelligent blue alien who was sent to Earth, aboard a space capsule, a few moments before his home planet was destroyed. After a series of unfortunate events on Earth, he was able to finally win a battle, get the girl, and most importantly, his life's purpose: to be the defender of Metro City. The movie was both entertaining and funny.

Some lines I can remember from the movie:

Megamind: You're a villain alright but you're not a super villain.

Tighten: What's the difference?

Megamind: Presentation!