"The Wolf of Wall Street" - directed by Martin Scorsese
This film marks the fifth time that Martin Scorsese has selected Leonardo DiCaprio as his lead.
He is still a touch behind Scorsese's previous go-to-guy Robert DeNiro by four or five but at this rate he should catch up in around six or seven years at worst.
If the quality continues at the current level with the already excellent list of results including "Gangs of New York", "The Departed" and my favourite "The Aviator" then the continued collaboration is just fine with me.
This time we have the based on a real story tale of a young man who enters the world of stocks and shares with the good intention of making himself and his clients money.
"The Wolf of Wall Street" follows the standard Scorsese film of this ilk in setting up a rise to success and then gleefully dismantling it (often very violently) scene by scene.
Think "Goodfellas" and "Casino".
One thing that is immediately clear this time is that the journey is going to be much, much funnier.
Dwarf throwing is thrown in our faces (literally) in early scenes showing what happens when men such as DiCaprio's Jordan Belfort have more money than they know what to do with.
What they mainly do according to this film is indulge in women, booze and drugs.
Lots and lots of drugs.
DiCaprio's character will be our narrator on this journey- frequently addressing the audience directly.
At a recent Academy screening it was reported (link) that Scorsese was heckled with one woman snapping - 'Shame on you'.
Apparently several people were shocked at the three hours of drug fueled excess that they had just witnessed.
Given that the screenplay is based on the book by Jordan Belfort it would appear that the complaint amounts to a criticism that Scorsese didn't shy away from the reality of the events.
In my case the only criticism that I would level at this film is that it doesn't show consequences beyond the movies protagonists.
What about the people that they conned out of their life savings or the numerous people that they discarded along the way leaving them jobless, penniless and in some cases dead?
Clearly the focus is on the excess of the characters themselves but some perspective might have helped show the true character of these people.
That complaint aside this is a damned good movie and entertains gloriously well for it's entire three hour running time.
Yes- it is basically Jordan and his mates piling hookers onto their crotches and white powder up their noses while they ripoff half of America but it is Scorsese on form and that means it is also super stylish, super slickly made and super funny.
The scene in which a quaalude laden Jordan tries to get from his country club to his home a mile away by way of floor, steps and Lamborghini is worth the price of a ticket alone.
The scene itself is great but the 'punchline' really is the icing on a pretty damned rich and tasty cake.
For me most movies endear themselves to me in a moment.
It is the moment in which I know that I am going to like the remainder.
Sometimes as with "Drive" (review) it happens within seconds of the film starting.
In the case of "The Wolf of Wall Street" it was when Matthew McConaughey's Mark Hanna first appears and takes Leonardo DiCaprio's Jordan Belfort to lunch.
This is McConaughey at his weird best.
He has had quite the career resurgence of late with critically acclaimed performances in a number of films.
I particularly liked him in "Bernie" and "Killer Joe" but his work in "Mud" and "Dallas Buyer's Club" is reportedly superb.
This lunch scene sets the tone for what follows and is basically the corrupting of our protagonist as he ditches all regard for his clients and sets his focus very precisely on what is in it for him.
Outrageous scene after outrageous scene follow as we are shown the sort of behaviour that only the very wealthy can get away with (for a while).
DiCaprio is typically great here and will hopefully not once again be overlooked by the Academy next year (it has happened too many times.... link) but the surprise performance is Jonah Hill.
Hill plays a truly despicable character.
There appears to be not one single redeeming quality about this man.
Donnie Azoff is so impressed that Jordan earns $70,000 during their first chance meeting that he quits his job and starts working for him.
Hill sports the sort of extra poundage that he had in his early hits "Superbad" and "Knocked Up" along with large horn rimmed glasses and ridiculously bleached, very prominent teeth.
If his appearance is disconcerting it is nothing compared to his personality.
He revels in treating those lower than him with complete contempt- Brad played by "The Walking Dead" star Jon Bernthal comes off the worst.
Most scorn is however heaped upon the many women that these men use and discard at a frightening rate.
Prostitutes are treated as a legitimate business expense (and occasionally as a vessel for cocaine!) and are graded by their 'quality' as either Blue Chip, NASDAQs or Pink Slips.... yes- these guys are really this bloody awful.
Wives are discarded when they get in the way of immoral and unethical pursuits and women generally are tossed around as reward and/or decoration.
If there is one vice that stays front and centre at all times though it is Jordan and friends one true addiction - drugs.
Scorsese himself escaped from cocaine addiction some years ago (in the 80's) so he presumably knows what he's talking about.
Matthew McConaughey's character who is greatly missed after his disappearance early on (it's a mad, mad performance to be cherished) makes it clear that the career that Jordan has chosen cannot be pursued without narcotic assistance.
I wonder if this is true?
Regardless, drugs are a major part of the film and it is the constant snorting, drinking, smoking and pill downing accompanied by the most nudity and sex I have seen in a mainstream movie since "Showgirls" that gives "The Wolf of Wall Street" its R18 rating.
There is enough naked flesh (not always women) on display here to keep sites like Mr Skin busy for decades.
Should you assume that female lead Margot Robbie was chosen solely for her extraordinary physical appeal bear in mind that she is in fact Australian in spite of her spot on Queens accent.
Robbie is very, very good indeed as Naomi and goes toe to toe with DiCaprio in some intense scenes as the marriage makes the transition from honeymoon to hell.
In fact this is a film loaded with fine performances- almost too many to list.
Everyone from Rob Reiner to Kyle Chandler, Jon Favreau, Jon Bernthal and of course DiCaprio himself is worthy of huge praise.
And this film has Joanna Lumley and Jean Dujardin in it - as if it isn't already loaded enough with greatness.
Ultimately "The Wolf of Wall Street" is a film that is scathingly brutal in its condemnation of its characters and their behaviour even as it shows the appeal of what they are doing.
They have wealth, women and free reign of the globe (even Auckland gets a look in with a real Jordan Belfort cameo!)
It comes at the expense of the people that they steal from and anyone who gets caught up in their orbit on a personal level is doomed to be discarded one way or another.
For the viewer this is way more fun than you might assume.
Often watching empires and people crumble before our eyes can be painful but in this case the despicable nature of the 'heroes' makes it a riot.
This is three hours of outrageous fun made all the more incredible by virtue of the fact that it is based on a true story.
It is loaded with gonzo scenes of such audacity you will not believe what is happening.
(Hill's 'appreciation' upon first meeting Naomi is amazing)
It's not only a showcase for DiCaprio who will hopefully not once again go ignored by the Academy in the week that voting begins but proof positive (as if more was needed) that the collaboration between he and Scorsese is still producing fine, fine results.
"The Wolf of Wall Street" is pure Scorsese and pure quality.
He should feel no shame at all- not even slightly.
Gold.
He is still a touch behind Scorsese's previous go-to-guy Robert DeNiro by four or five but at this rate he should catch up in around six or seven years at worst.
If the quality continues at the current level with the already excellent list of results including "Gangs of New York", "The Departed" and my favourite "The Aviator" then the continued collaboration is just fine with me.
This time we have the based on a real story tale of a young man who enters the world of stocks and shares with the good intention of making himself and his clients money.
"The Wolf of Wall Street" follows the standard Scorsese film of this ilk in setting up a rise to success and then gleefully dismantling it (often very violently) scene by scene.
Think "Goodfellas" and "Casino".
One thing that is immediately clear this time is that the journey is going to be much, much funnier.
Dwarf throwing is thrown in our faces (literally) in early scenes showing what happens when men such as DiCaprio's Jordan Belfort have more money than they know what to do with.
What they mainly do according to this film is indulge in women, booze and drugs.
Lots and lots of drugs.
DiCaprio's character will be our narrator on this journey- frequently addressing the audience directly.
 |
| Leonardo DiCaprio - great as usual and probably doomed to be ignored by the Academy... as usual. |
Apparently several people were shocked at the three hours of drug fueled excess that they had just witnessed.
Given that the screenplay is based on the book by Jordan Belfort it would appear that the complaint amounts to a criticism that Scorsese didn't shy away from the reality of the events.
In my case the only criticism that I would level at this film is that it doesn't show consequences beyond the movies protagonists.
What about the people that they conned out of their life savings or the numerous people that they discarded along the way leaving them jobless, penniless and in some cases dead?
Clearly the focus is on the excess of the characters themselves but some perspective might have helped show the true character of these people.
That complaint aside this is a damned good movie and entertains gloriously well for it's entire three hour running time.
Yes- it is basically Jordan and his mates piling hookers onto their crotches and white powder up their noses while they ripoff half of America but it is Scorsese on form and that means it is also super stylish, super slickly made and super funny.
The scene in which a quaalude laden Jordan tries to get from his country club to his home a mile away by way of floor, steps and Lamborghini is worth the price of a ticket alone.
The scene itself is great but the 'punchline' really is the icing on a pretty damned rich and tasty cake.
 |
| Margot Robbie with DiCaprio (left & centre) and getting direction from Scorsese for one of the many outrageous scenes |
It is the moment in which I know that I am going to like the remainder.
Sometimes as with "Drive" (review) it happens within seconds of the film starting.
In the case of "The Wolf of Wall Street" it was when Matthew McConaughey's Mark Hanna first appears and takes Leonardo DiCaprio's Jordan Belfort to lunch.
This is McConaughey at his weird best.
He has had quite the career resurgence of late with critically acclaimed performances in a number of films.
I particularly liked him in "Bernie" and "Killer Joe" but his work in "Mud" and "Dallas Buyer's Club" is reportedly superb.
This lunch scene sets the tone for what follows and is basically the corrupting of our protagonist as he ditches all regard for his clients and sets his focus very precisely on what is in it for him.
Outrageous scene after outrageous scene follow as we are shown the sort of behaviour that only the very wealthy can get away with (for a while).
DiCaprio is typically great here and will hopefully not once again be overlooked by the Academy next year (it has happened too many times.... link) but the surprise performance is Jonah Hill.
Hill plays a truly despicable character.
There appears to be not one single redeeming quality about this man.
Donnie Azoff is so impressed that Jordan earns $70,000 during their first chance meeting that he quits his job and starts working for him.
Hill sports the sort of extra poundage that he had in his early hits "Superbad" and "Knocked Up" along with large horn rimmed glasses and ridiculously bleached, very prominent teeth.
If his appearance is disconcerting it is nothing compared to his personality.
He revels in treating those lower than him with complete contempt- Brad played by "The Walking Dead" star Jon Bernthal comes off the worst.
Most scorn is however heaped upon the many women that these men use and discard at a frightening rate.
Prostitutes are treated as a legitimate business expense (and occasionally as a vessel for cocaine!) and are graded by their 'quality' as either Blue Chip, NASDAQs or Pink Slips.... yes- these guys are really this bloody awful.
 |
| Jonah Hill - rapidly becoming a serious talent |
If there is one vice that stays front and centre at all times though it is Jordan and friends one true addiction - drugs.
Scorsese himself escaped from cocaine addiction some years ago (in the 80's) so he presumably knows what he's talking about.
Matthew McConaughey's character who is greatly missed after his disappearance early on (it's a mad, mad performance to be cherished) makes it clear that the career that Jordan has chosen cannot be pursued without narcotic assistance.
I wonder if this is true?
Regardless, drugs are a major part of the film and it is the constant snorting, drinking, smoking and pill downing accompanied by the most nudity and sex I have seen in a mainstream movie since "Showgirls" that gives "The Wolf of Wall Street" its R18 rating.
There is enough naked flesh (not always women) on display here to keep sites like Mr Skin busy for decades.
Should you assume that female lead Margot Robbie was chosen solely for her extraordinary physical appeal bear in mind that she is in fact Australian in spite of her spot on Queens accent.
Robbie is very, very good indeed as Naomi and goes toe to toe with DiCaprio in some intense scenes as the marriage makes the transition from honeymoon to hell.
In fact this is a film loaded with fine performances- almost too many to list.
Everyone from Rob Reiner to Kyle Chandler, Jon Favreau, Jon Bernthal and of course DiCaprio himself is worthy of huge praise.
 |
| An amazing cast includes Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bernthal, Jean Dujardin and Joanna Lumley |
Ultimately "The Wolf of Wall Street" is a film that is scathingly brutal in its condemnation of its characters and their behaviour even as it shows the appeal of what they are doing.
They have wealth, women and free reign of the globe (even Auckland gets a look in with a real Jordan Belfort cameo!)
It comes at the expense of the people that they steal from and anyone who gets caught up in their orbit on a personal level is doomed to be discarded one way or another.
For the viewer this is way more fun than you might assume.
Often watching empires and people crumble before our eyes can be painful but in this case the despicable nature of the 'heroes' makes it a riot.
 |
| The real Jordan Belfort |
It is loaded with gonzo scenes of such audacity you will not believe what is happening.
(Hill's 'appreciation' upon first meeting Naomi is amazing)
It's not only a showcase for DiCaprio who will hopefully not once again go ignored by the Academy in the week that voting begins but proof positive (as if more was needed) that the collaboration between he and Scorsese is still producing fine, fine results.
"The Wolf of Wall Street" is pure Scorsese and pure quality.
He should feel no shame at all- not even slightly.
Gold.
| Rated | R18 for sex and nudity, frequent profanity and violence |
| Running Time: | 179 minutes (2hrs 53 minutes without end credits) |
| Starring: |
| Leonardo DiCaprio | --- Jordan Belfort |
| Jonah Hill | --- Donnie Azoff |
| Margot Robbie | --- Naomi Lapaglia |
| Matthew McConaughey | --- Mark Hanna |
| Kyle Chandler | --- Agent Denham |
| Rob Reiner | --- Max Belfort |
| Jon Bernthal | --- Brad |
| Jon Favreau | --- Manny Riskin |
| Jean Dujardin | --- Jean Jacques Saurel |
| Joanna Lumley | --- Aunt Emma |
| P.J Byrne | --- Nicky Koskoff |
| Kenneth Choi | --- Chester Ming |
| Brian Sacca | --- Robbie Feinberg |
| Henry Zebrowski | --- Alden Kupferberg |
| Ethan Suplee | --- Toby Welch |
| Jake Hoffman | --- Steve Madden |
| Katarina Cas | --- Chantalle |
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