American-Hustle/Wolf on Wall Street

I watched two movies today: American Hustle and Wolf on Wall Street. They're both very similar, loosely based on con artists in the US. American Hustle in the late 70's, Wolf on Wall Street in the late 80's. As with every movie that I love, I of course, left the theater feeling very inspired. Inspired to hop into a time machine, move to New York, wear fur and marry a stockbroker. On a more serious note, I am enamoured with the glossy eyes through which Americans view crooks and their greed, materialism, physical beauty and egos among other things. 

 

(On "Wolf") 

Scenes of wild debauchery drive "Wolf" through a three-hour roller-coaster ride that taps into public fascination with lifestyles of the rich and crooked. "America loves a winner," Winter says. "We're seduced by the lifestyle: 'Oh, my God, look at the girlfriend and the wife and the house and the jewelry and the suits and the car. Particularly in this country, nobody really asks: How did you get all this stuff?"

It gets more intricate than that though. Alec Baldwin also starred as Wall Street con artist Hal Francis in "Blue Jasmine" earlier this year and had a very accurate description of the gray area in which this topic continues to thrive in our modern society: 

"Americans have a very complicated, almost inexplicable relationship to making money. We believe that success within this capitalism system is right and good, and we think if people cut corners, that's OK — to a point. But when someone wrecks the whole machinery just to serve their own needs, everybody seems to save up their venom and animosity for that one person — the biggest example would be Bernie Madoff. And yet people have no appetite whatsoever for reform."

As a middle class American, I agree. We root for the working class, idolize the schemers, condemn the 1% and pity ourselves. 

Which is why the nearest AMC sounds like much more fun than trying to sit at home, study statistics, weigh out losses and gains, pick the more convenient political party... yadda yadda yadda..

Although maybe your Great Gatsby withdrawals are enough to lure you into another 180 minutes of tuxed-up, man-of-the-hour Leo.