The Wolf Of Wall Street

Cert: 18

Running Time: 180 minutes

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio,  Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey

Director: Martin Scorsese

Release Date: 17 January 2014

Greed is good, and as it turns out, hilarious. 

Young wannabe stock broker Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio) learns the financial importance of sex, drugs and masturbation from bang on form anti-Yoda Matthew McConaughey before losing his job in the 1987 stock market crash.  Down on his luck he begins a penny stock scheme selling worthless shares to working class Americans.  Drafting in salesmen (mostly weed) from his local neighbourhood in Queens he begins to build a (not entirely above board) empire, spending millions on his hedonistic and decadent habits while the FBI are investigating his shady dealings. Between all the cocaine, Quaaludes and hookers, it’s surprising he got any work done at all.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iszwuX1AK6A

Wolf of Wall Street arrived in cinemas derided for its glamorisation of greed, sex, drugs, infidelity and immorality.  For the feint hearted there’s also a phenomenal amount of swearing in it too.  It’s unapologetic and a difficult watch, not because of the subject matter, but because this is a film with the volume turned up to 11 for almost three solid hours.  What you might not realise from all the publicity is that Wolf of Wall Street is an absolutely hilarious dark comedy.

DiCaprio’s Belfort is a self obsessed, narcissistic, smug, wealth crazed, unlovable tool – and doesn’t he know it!  He is the ultimate Scorsese anti hero, except here Belfort has no redeeming features in the way of Travis Bickle, Jake LaMotta or Henry Hill – and this is the main issue with the movie.  Scorsese has us so wrapped up is Belfort’s world that we see neither the repercussions of his actions or any sense of true redemption for him.  He is merely there, unapologetic, revelling in his excesses.

With Margot Robbie as Belfort’s second wife Naomi serving as the only female character with any substance (and we’re pushing that term here), this is pretty much a boys club led by DiCaprio and ably assisted by Jonah Hill as Donnie Azoff as his second in command.  DiCaprio himself eats up the role of Belfort and clearly loves every minute of it.

It would be easy, not to mention, lazy to say that Scorsese is back to his best with Wolf of Wall Street but it wouldn’t be too far from the truth.  While not quite reaching the zenith of Raging Bull, Taxi Driver or Goodfellas, Wolf of Wall Street is more than good enough to take its place in the Scorsese lexicon.  DiCaprio’s performance is an absolute barnstormer and thoroughly deserving of an academy award this year although he almost certainly won’t get one.