Covered in a layer of stock babble you might mistake for intelligence, but the characters and story are as broad as Trading Places. The plot is oddly similar too. So this has to be seen as a moralistic fable, but it’s a damn entertaining one. Oliver Stone impressively gauges when to let the camera glide around and when to stand back and let the actors take the reigns. Probably best remembered for Michael Douglas’ performance, and it’s still a career highlight, but I also enjoy Martin Sheen every moment he’s on screen.
There’s an interesting behind the scenes story to be told here. Just before the 65min mark the film transitions from the beach to wintertime. This is marked by a 2nd Unit shot of two squirrels jumping from one branch to another. One makes it easy, but the other misses and drops out of frame. Why did Oliver Stone use this shot? Was it to give the film a moment of comedy? Is it meant as a metaphor foreshadowing what’s about to happen? It’s a throwaway moment in a film full of unforgettable, dazzling camerawork which is why I remember it more than most of the stock trading scenes.
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