The Wolf of Wall Street
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“The Wolf of Wall Street” is an intoxicating thrill ride of million dollar egos and unhinged debauchery.
Martin Scorsese’s latest collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio follows the treacherous climb of Wall Street ingénue Jordan Belfort from struggling to wickedly powerful stockbroker.
The film is non-stop insanity from beginning to end. From the outlandish office parties filled with midgets and prostitutes to the sheer amount of drugs used – cocaine, Quaaludes, prescription meds, anything they can get their hands on – the party never ends for Belfort and his gang, until it’s forced to.
During his ascent to the top, Belfort begins handing out worthless stocks to desperate, wannabe moneymakers. Belfort and his associates cross the line into fraud and live without a care in the world until FBI agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) starts investigating Belfort’s world.
DiCaprio plays Belfort with ease, with such arrogance and a shadiness that’s as slick as the oil he runs through his hair. Yet, he’s still likeable. He’s the rags-to-riches story of the 1990s, and seeing how far he can push his lucky karma is very fun to watch.
A brilliant ensemble cast helps flesh out Belfort’s story. Jonah Hill masterfully plays Belfort’s handy sidekick Donnie Azoff and nearly steals the film. Belfort loves his women and his second wife Naomi, played by newcomer Margot Robbie, is a beauty as she gets caught up in her husband’s taste for the wild side.
The film is outrageously funny, too. Watching Belfort run through his money and a superfluous amount of drugs is hilarious. When Belfort and Azoff take aged Quaaludes and are virtually nonfunctional as actual human beings, it becomes one of the best and funniest scenes in the film.
As much the film revels in living without limits, it’s important to understand that while watching the chaos is a riot, there are dangerous consequences to their devilishness. Their lavish living comes screeching to a halt and Belfort’s empire comes crashing down.
Yet, “The Wolf of Wall Street” is another classic Scorsese film. Even though Belfort was put away for his overindulgence, that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the high of his unforgettable tale.
— Avery Thompson
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