The Wolf of Wall Street

It's called GREED Old Sport! 

                Oh wait…

Directed By: Martin Scorsese

Released: 2013

Staring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, & Margot Robbie 

with special appearances by Matthew Mcconaughey, Jean Dujardin and that guy who plays Nucky Thompson's brother Eli on Boardwalk Empire - Shea Whigham.

Rated: R

One hell of a showboat performance from Leonardo Dicaprio

 Aka: The Great Wolf of Gatsby Street

  "I will tell you God's truth, God's truth about myself. I'm the son of some very wealthily people; sadly they're all dead now."

       And I can say after watching this film I cannot help but be baffled by the fact that not only did this main character and his antics exist but he's still alive to write about it. 

The true story of Jordan Belfort, stock broker, drug addict, and womanizer is 100x more unbelievable than the tales one Jay Gatsby strings and weaves for an innocent Nick Caraway. I only draw the comparisons to the two films due to the lavish parties, booze, drugs, women and uninterrupted flow of illegally obtained cash...And the two films star of course, Leonardo DiCaprio.  

  Remember earlier this year when I reviewed  The Great Gatsby and I said something along the lines of his role in that film would not being enough to garnet the talented actor with an Oscar? It was going to take more than the charmingly passionate, love-sick millionaire Gatsby to get the coveted golden statue on his mantle piece. If there was a role DiCaprio could have, would have, SHOULD have won for in the past two years it was Calvin Candie in Tarantino's Django Unchained. Alas, poor Leo was not even graced with a nomination for his exceptional performance. With 7 days until nominations for the 2014 Academy Awards are released, The Wolf of Wall Street is DiCaprio's best shot at Oscar gold. 

His performance isn't just good, it's a nose full of coke, Mia Wallace "I said GOD DAMN, GOD DAMN" good. Sex, drugs and shootin' the authorities a big ol' fashion fuck you, are the precious cargo filling Scorsese's crazed ship and DiCaprio is the captain.

  I'm a fan of actor-director relationships films. Tim Burton has Johnny Depp, Nicholas Winding-Refn has Ryan Gosling and Martin Scorsese has Leonardo DiCaprio; when two artist work together on a regular basis it not only brings a familiar feeling to the film, but both are able to experiment and take risks. This couldn't be more apparent than in The Wolf of Wall Street. The Wolf is the product of an actor-director relationship that has surpassed all levels of comfort and flow into a realm of UNcomforted that only could be explored by very close friends. I've already used up one of my swears and I'll use another now, a shit load of craziness and debauchery, that is what Scorsese and DiCaprio create. The film is jam packed full of unbelievable circumstances that upon hearing, one would think nearly impossible to put on screen; but this dynamic duo does it in high flying, unforgiving fashion.

  

  The Wolf of Wall Street works because it's biggest star holds nothing back and it's director captures it all. DiCaprio is a powerhouse in the film; a larger than life personality and presence that, on more than one occasion had members of the audience clapping and cheering. DiCaprio shows not only how completely selfish and crazed Belfort was but also exudes the persuasive force that inspired his employees and later lead him to be a motivational speaker. Jordan Belfort is a disgusting character; an asshole, yet all you can do is shake your head and laugh when he gets in deep. You want to see just how far down this man can go before he's buried in his own filth and mistakes. DiCaprio brings the charm and sleaze to this corrupt animal all at once, making him nearly impossible to dislike. 

   Members of the supporting cast are individually strong, discovering their own characters and holding fast to them throughout the entire film. Actors who have been duds or type casts in years past dish up some hilarious and pinnacle performances. Matthew McConaughey's appearance is brief but a real highlight of the first half of the film. Jonah Hill provides the audience with a bundle of squeamishly laughable moments and commits to offering more than enough of his physical self to the camera. 

 

As I defended Baz Luhrman's over the top production of The Great Gatsby, I must also defend Martin Scorsese's choices; it's his personal directorial style. Something it seems many reviewers and audiences just don't get it. Have you seen Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino? Are you really surprised by profanity? This is a serious question and something that truly irks me. ARE YOU REALLY SURPRISED? I shake my head when I read reviews condemning Scorsese, for the vulgarity of his films, especially The Wolf of Wall Street. In this case it's not only the directorial style but also the subject matter that must be taken into account. The Wolf of Wall Street is based off of Jordan Belfort's autobiography, and having read excerpts from the book, I can tell you the film is pretty spot on with Belford's description his over the top lifestyle. Upon entering a Scorsese film, one must be prepared for a heavy helping of F-bombs, accents, and boobs. After seeing The Wolf, I'm quite sure I'm immune to all. 

  As a movie fan, I tend to stay away from comedies, not because I don't enjoy a good laugh, but because let's be honest, most "comedies" produced now a days are rubbish…I'm not even sure comedy is a genre anymore…that's the odd thing about The Wolf, it has more than it's fair share of laughs, but should I be pegging it as a Ha-Ha funny COMEDY? I don't know. It's laughs come from it's absurdity…like The Hangover (which I thought was funny the first time around then hated the next 3 times I was forced to watch it) but real. 

  Clocking in at a solid 180 minutes, The Wolf of Wall Street proves to be the longest running comedy on the market today. I say comedy because there really is no other genre in to which to place this film. All of Scorsese's works have their far share of laughs, mostly delivered by unique and outlandish characters. It's the people and the situations they get into that produce the biggest laughs. A drooling DiCaprio, resorting to rolling himself down a flight of brick stair because he's lost almost all of his motor skills due to a drug overdoes is ridiculous…and funny as hell. Jonah Hill's disturbingly white, propionate teeth are funny. Matthew McConaughey rhythmically pounding his chest and emitting primal, cave man-like beats is funny. A looping plane full of hookers, coke, and naked men is, dare I say it, FUNNY. What I'm trying to get at is this, The Wolf of Wall Street is brash, disturbing, and often cringe-worthy (definitely not for everyone) but it is a comedy. A comedy that may just deliver Leonardo DiCaprio that Best Actor Oscar that has eluded him for too long.  Do I think it's the perfect holiday film for audiences to see with Mom and Pop? Absolutely not. Is it a seamlessly crafted performance piece for DiCaprio full of raunchy laughs and depravity? Absolutely yes. 

  Now all I can do is sit back and have a mental battle with myself as to whether Oscar Isaac or Leo is more deserving of the Academy's honor...

If DiCaprio wins and I don't see this exact dance, I'll be very disappointed.