Review: The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) · 1:18am Nov 15th, 2015

Martin Scorsese's madcap, three hour whirligig explosive expose on the sheer debauchery and excess of the Wall Street life, as told through the equally debauched and excessive life of Jordan Belfort not only manages to be a wildly FUN ride, but also a biting satire on the most classic of American foibles: Greed.

Wisely dispensing with a condescending or trite attempt at moralizing Belfort's actions, Scorsese instead lets Belfort tell the story himself, through writer Terrence Winter's devious and dementedly hilarious screenplay, which, by throwing us right into the mind of Belfort, simultaneously shows all the allure of living such a debauched and wild life, while also slyly highlighting the sheer destruction it causes on anyone who allows it to consume them. Belfort is gleefully aware of how greedy and debauched he is, and in doing so, becomes the living incarnation of everything wrong with the American Dream. Both Winter and Scorsese know full well that the audience can see how disgusting the life, from the disgusting objectification of women as mere objects to be used for sexual pleasure, to the sheer amount of drugs and narcotics that these people absorb like water.

Standing at the center of this maelstrom, is Leonardo DiCaprio's off the walls performance as Jordan Belfort. DiCaprio gleefully hams it up, and in doing so, creates a character who while exemplifying a magnetic charisma and razor sharp wit, is also a festering pit of vices and disgusting excess. He fills the frame with his sheer force of ego and avariciousness. On top of that, he drools and salivates over women, lustfully clawing and leaping upon every woman he sees, treating them like meat to gobbled up. Scorsese and DiCaprio refuse to talk down to the audience, showing Belfort for the greedy, lustful pig that he was, yet at the same time, expertly highlight WHY he managed to get so far on so little. He is an undeniable force of charisma, and it's often hard not to feel pumped up after hearing him deliver one of his obscenity laced speeches.

Jonah Hill proves to be a worthy successor to Joe Peci as the equally over the top Donnie Azoff, who in many ways is the less charismatic, more openly base version of Belfort. Often supplying an obscenely hilarious off the chain performance, Hill finally is able to break free from his frat-boy comedy wheelhouse, dancing the fine line between horrible and hilarious expertly.

Margot Robbie gives a stellar performance as the saucy, sensual minx Naomi Lapaglia, object of most of Belfort's sexual lusts. In a performance that exudes a steaming sexuality, Robbie proves to be a true acting force, giving a balanced and layered performance in what could have easily been pure eye candy.

Super special shout-out goes to Matthew McConaughey, who gives a memorable performance in his less then ten minutes of screen time. Providing Jordan a blueprint for Jordan's future, McConaughey's Mark Hanna condenses McConaughey's natural charm and charisma into a sort of warped father figure for Belfort, who Belfort, either consciously or unconsciously, mimics and emulates over the course of the film.

The rest of the cast, made of up an array of recognizable faces such as Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jean Dujardin, Jon Bernthal and Jon Favreau, all turn in great performance, as is standard for such a director as Scorsese. He gives them all room to breathe and to show off their skills, and never lets them be overshadowed. Each leaves their stamp on the film, and without them, it would be lacking.

Of course, as is standard for a Scorsese picture, Thelma Schoomaker's editing is wild and kinetic as ever, with her perfectly capturing the drug fueled explosion of insanity that the character's live in. Coupled with Robbie Robertson's wildly eclectic selection of songs, ranging from old blues stables by Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddly, to alt rock like The Lemonheads and 7Horse. It all provides a wild tapestry of music to flow with the wild imagery.

In the end, by never censoring the sheer insanity and debauchery that Belfort lived in, Scorsese provides a mirror for our habits and lust for excess. By never commenting on it, or trying to talk down to us and moralize, Scorsese makes us face how debauched we can get, and makes us confront that lust within ourselves.

So yes, suffice to say it was an awesome, madcap, hilarious, and even sobering look at greed, and possible one of the most fun experiences I've had watching a movie.

5 out of 5 stars.