By Lee Pfeiffer
Director Oliver Stone says he is worried about his friend and colleague Michael Douglas, who is battling throat cancer. Douglas' spokespeople have issued optimistic updates about his condition, but Stone confesses he believes Douglas' health is "precarious". Douglas attended the premiere of Stone's Wall Street:Money Never Sleeps in New York three weeks ago, but had to cancel a European promotional tour. The 66 year-old Oscar winner is in remission from chemotherapy and friends and family remain hopeful he will be able to return to acting.
Regarding the Wall Street film, just a couple of quick personal observations. I found the movie to be highly engaging and extremely well-acted. Stone manages to avoid delving into the types of cliches we might have expected and focuses on how the financial crisis affects the personal lives of the main characters. Douglas is terrific, reviving the role of charismatic scoundrel Gordon Gekko that won him an Oscar in 1988. There's also a wonderful supporting cast including Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan and Frank Langella, who continues to get better with age. The central protagonist is played by Shia LaBeouf, who certainly gives a fine performance even though his name sounds like a sandwich choice on the menu of the Carnegie Deli. There's also a small but key role played by the seemingly indestructible Eli Wallach, who at age 94 is still able to steal scenes from his co-stars. (I love the inside joke that LaBeouf's character uses the theme from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as the ring tone for his phone. There's also a another inside laugh when Michael Douglas visits a posh haberdasher in London and stands in front of a photo of young Kirk Douglas) One other reason to like the film: it actually features opening credits and a theme song, a tradition that most contemporary movies neglect because studio executives believe audiences have such limited attention spans, they'll lose interest before the story begins. Here's hoping Michael Douglas goes on to make many more fine movies like this. For more click here