Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot
Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Bernthal, Jon
Favreau, Jean Dujardin, Joanna Lumley, Cristin Milloti, Christine Ebersole
Director: Martin Scorsese
Synopsis: Leonardo DiCaprio heart-wrenchingly portrays
Jordan Belfort, an original penny stockbroker who moves his way up through the
jungle of Wall Street by scamming investors with smooth propositions and a
go-getter attitude. Belfort’s utmost confidence and false lines of assurance
parallel his insane drug and sex addiction. This addiction aids in leading the
multi-million dollar stock company he quickly builds and also makes itself
known in his personal life; Belfort leaves his wife and eventually marries model
Naomi Lapaglia (Margot Robbie) and soon thereafter, his drug-tainted and power
hungry mind cause his personal and professional life to spiral out of control.
Belfort is ultimately audited by the FBI, in which he refuses to turn himself—or
any of his co-workers—in for the crimes they committed both domestically and internationally.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4.5/5 Reels
Review:
Throughout
the entire three hour run-length of Wolf
of Wall Street, my mind and senses were taken on a whirlwind ride of
suspense, surprise, shock, and tonal sensation. Scorsese unapologetically and,
at times, appallingly paints the portrait of a man amazingly obsessed with
money and power. The title, Wolf of Wall
Street, immediately becomes appropriate as DiCaprio channels the depths and
emotions of someone plagued by the satisfaction of fleshly materialism.
The
acting within this film, by DiCaprio specifically, remains one of the most
poignant and unforgettable performances I have ever seen. The immense and
varied emotional highs/lows perfectly hit by DiCaprio is unsettling; one scene
depicts him in a comical power-thriving business meeting followed by a scene of
extreme drug overdose and hysteria. DiCaprio’s ability to portray a man so
deeply embedded with emotional pain and worldly separation is a feat within
itself. DiCaprio invites the audience into the world of Jordan Belfort, and
invites them to not only witness both the tragic and victorious points in his
career, but to also experience them
with him. Each supporting actor (Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, etc.) also
beautifully create successful performances and portals for the audience to view
Belfort through. Through each of their performances, the audience gains the
ability to draw full conclusions on Belfort’s actions, choices, and
motivations. Each character is then perfectly embedded within the time period
of a 1990s-New-Yorker.
The
most significant and ground-breaking elements within this film remains the
directing. Scorsese’s honest and true direction/portrayal of Belfort’s life
remains unmatched by any film. Scorsese’s pacing, primarily, is incredible. The
movie sprints forward in action and reactions, providing the audience with
cut-throat events, dialogue, and climactic components. Throughout the film,
Scorsese chooses to have Belfort break the fourth wall and talk directly to the
audience; this perfectly matches the 90s infomercial content and absorbs the
audience into the happenings of each character. What most films are afraid to
do, Scorsese blasts through - unapologetically, whimsically, and wildly fast.
Realistic scenes of drug use, sex, and ultimate self-obsession are blatantly
revealed and almost shoved in the audience’s face. Appropriately, the
consequences of said vices are also shamelessly plugged. Scorsese directs the
film in a way that provides an unabashed and overt view into the full cycle of
Belfort’s rise and fall within the stock market, his personal relationships,
and ultimately his inner being.
Within
the directing and overall production, one of the most shocking and unexpected
elements within the film were the abrupt mood and tonal changes. The Wolf of Wall Street demonstrated
substance within the genre’s of comedy, romance, action, adventure, and crime - all within the span of 3
hours. Immediate tonal changes almost left me with a sense of confusion when
determining what the film was truly trying to be. That’s when I realized it - Wolf was an amazingly complex and
invigorating film because it was not trying
to be anything. Scorsese, DiCaprio, and all of the other elements within it
provided such a realistic and appropriate portrayal of Jordan Belfort that the
tonal changes almost mimicked real life. This, remains Wolf of Wall Street’s most astonishing task.
Receiving
a 4.5, this film remains a shockingly beautiful, exciting, enticing, and
heart-breaking story. The realistic portrayals of drugs/sex/scandal (warning:
the film is VERY crude and vulgar) causes me to drop it from a perfect 5. Yet,
the mere rawness and emotional bewilderment so perfectly captured within this
riot of a film has me perplexed - happily so - still today, weeks after viewing
it. Overall, the acting, directing, plot-line, and delivery of every aspect of The Wolf of Wall Street remains superb.
By:
Mariah Ortiz
Mariah, your review is excellently written. I have not seen this movie because I've been told the crudeness of it makes the movie not worth seeing, however after reading this review you have changed my mind! Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the best actors of our time in my opinion, all the movies that I have seen with him in them have been incredible, even going back to Man in the Iron Mask. Being able to see a beautiful film with incredible acting is an great experience, and from your portrayal of this movie it seems as if it is worth seeing!
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