The
Wolf Of Wall Street
Did the substance get lost in the laughs, or in the rush to edit the
film and have it ready in time for Christmas?
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Jordan Belfort – an ambitious
stockbroker who needs to find new employment when his reputable, long
time firm goes belly up on Black Monday, October 19, 1987. Still
seeking the thrill and financial rewards from being a broker, he gets
involved with a boiler room operation pushing penny stocks out on Long
Island. He loves it (especially the money), and starts his own firm
that explodes, takes Wall Street by storm and draws attention from the
FBI and the SEC because these guys are breaking every law you can
imagine.
Based on a true story, The Wolf Of Wall Street is attempting to
be the Goodfellas of Wall Street, but it lacks the same great
ambiance, story, writing and acting. It’s a barely passable
movie, but one that should have been so much better.
Directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Terence Winter (based on
Belfort’s book), The Wolf Of Wall Street has a fantastic
first hour. Everything about that opening 50 – 60 minutes is
perfect as Scorsese and team perfectly set the stage for something that
never comes.
We get to understand the gonzo feel and outrageousness of the world
these guys are entering and sharing with us. Matthew McConaughey is
mesmerizing and brilliant as Belfort’s mentor, and you wish he
had more than 2 scenes. Most of all, Scorsese and team give us a reason
why these guys are so drawn to this world. It’s as basic as young
guys seeking cash, thrills, excitement and hot women, but maybe just a
bit more.
However, Scorsese and Winter don’t get past the debauchery. Sure,
they slightly touch upon the financial guys as criminals riding close
to the edge, then obliterating that edge, but the creative team is much
more interested in showing wildness rather than expanding the
narrative. How many times do we need to see Belfort and his cohorts
doing drugs to explain that they liked doing drugs?
We need so much more about the FBI investigation, the relationship
between DiCaprio and the inner circle, even more about Belfort’s
marriages, but we are constantly cutting to more scenes of people
snorting coke or taking Quaaludes.
It’s a shame we don’t get more of that other stuff, because
the actors can handle it. DiCaprio brings his trademark intensity, and
shows astounding physical ability in a scene people will be talking
about for years, but it’s co-star Margot Robbie who emerges as
the biggest star in The Wolf Of Wall Street. The Aussie
explodes off the screen as the sexy and sassy wife who starts off
enamored with Jordan’s life, but, ultimately, repulsed by it. Her
character would have been a perfect conduit for the audience to see the
changes and negatives in Belfort and his gang of thieves as their
schemes get out of hand, but it was an opportunity lost.
When everyone talking about your movie is focused on the debauchery and
such, it’s a sign that the movie itself might not be the best
movie you have ever made.
The Wolf of Wall Street is rated R for sequences of strong sexual
content, graphic nudity, drug use and language throughout, and for some
violence.
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