This adaptation of Tom Wolfe's ambitious novel fails to quite deliver the promise of the highly regarded book, despite a stellar cast.
Brian De Palma's bombastic direction does somewhat result in a toothless appraisal of New York's political and social problems.
Tom Hanks stars as wealthy Wall Street trader Sherman McCoy, the so-called 'Master of the Universe'.
One night, he's involved in an accident when his mistress (Melanie Griffith) knocks a mugger down in his Mercedes. The ensuing legal proceedings attract media attention and threaten to strip Sherman of his power and prestige.
Bruce Willis is miscast as a seedy reporter and, as the judge, Morgan Freeman is lumbered with a concluding speech which fails to address the film's complex issues.
Crucially, the usually admirable Hanks has none of the aggression necessary for the central role.
Ultimately, despite a juicy role for Sex and the City's Kim Cattrall, this goes down as a misguided Hollywood attempt to marry topical concerns with big box office returns.
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