At the Theater - "The Wolf Of Wall Street" - It's raining hundred dollar bills (often, quite literally) in Martin Scorsese's (Goodfellas) EPIC cocaine, quaalude, sex and alcohol-fueled bender featuring a myriad of greedy, lying bastards, wild women and a record number of f-bombs. Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed) stars as "Jordan Belfort", the eponymous and notorious Wall Street stock swindler of the 1990's who enjoyed a meteoric rise and a legendary run at the top of the fraudulent food-chain before falling to the FBI. Although there's a wealth of energetic, entertaining material here, a good half hour of this 3 hour film could have easily been cut without losing precious character development or any important events. It's obvious there's quite a bit of improvisation going on- most of it works and works rather well, though I did find myself zoning out a couple times near a sagging end of the second act.
DiCaprio (in his fifth collaboration with Scorsese) puts in typically stellar work, with a performance amongst his personal best and comfortably in the thick of the best leading roles of 2013. His Belfort's an ambitious and intelligent sort, starting out as a fresh-faced stockbroker simply looking to provide for his family before quickly being seduced by the avarice and drug addiction commonly associated with the trade. In the continuing fumblefuck referred to as the Oscars, he probably won't receive a nomination here- it's strange (and ridiculous) that the Academy Awards will continue it's boneheaded strategy of nominating more films than actors in it's various categories.
The gorgeous Aussie actress Margot Robbie (she could easily pass for Jaime Pressly's younger sister) will undoubtedly leave one helluva impression on the male audience as Belfort's trophy wife, "Naomi". Audiences better get used to her name as she'll surely be Hollywood's go-to-girl when in need of a ravishing vamp.
Jonah Hill (This Is The End) and his gleaming, over-sized chompers steal a number of scenes as Belfort's best friend and cohort, "Donnie Azoff" (based upon Danny Porush). Hill doesn't have much range, though he's grown into an excellent character actor who obviously isn't afraid to push the envelope.
Matt McConaughey (Mud) makes a lasting impression in an early, extended cameo as a charismatic stockbroker who takes Belfort under his wing. He's rather gaunt here, with his scenes either shot during or right after his role as AIDS patient and pharmaceutical smuggler, "Ron Woodroof", from late 2013's biopic, Dallas Buyers Club.
Jon Bernthal (AMC's The Walking Dead) provides intermittent support as Belfort's apish, drug-dealing, smuggler buddy, while Kyle Chandler (Super 8) portrays the FBI Agent tasked with bringing The Wolf down.
As with most of Scorsese's film's, anticipate a host of cameo-sized roles, which includes appearances by Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Joanna Lumley (The BBC's Absolutely Fabulous), Director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich), Actor/Director Rob Reiner (Misery, The Princess Bride), Actor/Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Iron Man 2) and former New York Police Detective turned actor, Bo Dietl (Bad Lieutenant).
Expect the single most berserk and hilarious drug-induced altercation between two men ever put to film, with Scorcese's trademark camera shots and rapid-fire usage of popular music throughout- and did I mention Margot Robbie? Good lord! I'm usually not much of a fan of biopic tales concerning flawed individuals of the criminal kind who don't know when to quit, though I couldn't help being swept up in this one. True to it's subject and setting, The Wolf Of Wall Street is depraved and excessive- it's also quite entertaining (in stretches) and comes recommended to anyone interested. It's the biggest guilty pleasure of the year.
8.0 out of 10
Director: Martin Scorsese
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Rob Reiner, Jon Bernthal, Kyle Chandler, Jon Favreau, Jean Dujardin, Joanna Lumley, Shea Whigham, Cristin Milioti, Christine Ebersole, Katarina Cas, P.J. Byrne, Kenneth Choi, Ethan Suplee, Spike Jonze, Bo Dietl
Run-Time: 180 minutes
MPAA: Rated R for sequences of strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language throughout, and for some violence
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