The Wolf of Wall Street

Number eight on my list is bound to be controversial. I'll openly admit that I'm not a fan of Scorsese. I've only seen three of his other films, and they're far from a complete picture. Fortunately, this one is similar to my favorite of the other three.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) is a black comedy about the life of Jordan Belfort by Martin Scorsese.

Impressions
Jordan Belfort is a man who wants to be rich. Luckily for him, the world of wall street is perfect for him. He signs up and ends up working for drug addled Mark Hanna. He moves his way up and learns the tricks of the trade until the stock market crash of Black Monday 1987. After that he finds a new and less legal way of making money through penny stocks, and from there forges a new company.

This film is a black comedy about the rise and (somewhat) fall of a despicable person. This film has gained notoriety for a particular scene at the start where Jordan does drugs out of a prostitute's butt. It's as non-explicit as it can be, but I want to start there since that deters a lot of people from seeing the film. There is a lot more that the film does, even topping Scorsese's previous foul-mouthed Best Picture winner: The Departed.

Our Villains
Jordan Belfort is an over the top insane stock broker who builds a company of crooks and liars. His life is entertaining, but also deeply disturbing. If you let loose your morals and go with the flow, he can be very entertaining. However, he is incredibly foul, so be warned sensitive viewers. Leonardo DiCaprio is great in the role, but I don't think that he deserves Best Actor for this role. Though, he's never won an Academy Award, so the Academy might throw it to him.

Donnie Azoff is Jordan's right hand man. He's crazier than Jordan, but far less intelligent. Much of the film's comedy stems from him. If you enjoy drug induced insanity and ridiculousness, then you'll probably enjoy this character. I did not. Jonah Hill is a fine actor, but I don't tink he deserved a Best Supporting nod for this.

Materialistic Observer

Naomi Belfort, nee Lapaglia, is Jordan's second wife. They get together when he meets her at a party. She is essentially the perfect amoral trophy wife until Belfort's madness affects their daughter. She is probably one of the most under appreciated character in the film. Margot Robbie is seductive one minute and raging the next, switching between the two masterfully.

Wall Street Atmosphere
This film is over-the top insane. It borders on cartoonish at points. It is based on a true story, but stylized for maximum effect. There is hilarious scene where drugs make Belfort physically unable to walk then he has to get home before Donnie makes a call that could destroy their company.

In the End
The darkest part of this comedy: Jordan doesn't get what he deserves.

Overall
An enjoyable romp for the most part. It is incredibly long, 3 hours, and it astonishes me that there is a five hour cut of this thing. It could be a half hour shorter. This one will feel incredibly familiar to those who've seen Goodfellas; fortunately, the story is similar but it's definitely a different ride. While this film can be fun, I really can't justify that it deserves any Academy Awards. I'll go ahead and restate: I'm not a Scorsese fan! See it if you enjoy Scorsese, DiCaprio, and evil men doing crazy things.
7/10

Next Time: Nominee Number 7 in THREEEEEEEEEEEDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!