Film Review: The Wolf of Wall Street

Director: Martin Scorcese

Like repeatedly hitting you with a jackhammer for nearly three hours, The Wolf of Wall Street is not subtle or clever. It is a loud, brash and incredibly excessive depiction of the high life associated with success on Wall Street in the world of stocks and shares. In this instance we follow Jordan Belfort (played with full vigour by Leonardo DiCaprio) as he learns the ropes from the bottom under tutor Mark Hanna (unfortunately underused Matthew McConaughey) before he goes onto to start his own company selling penny stocks. Naturally Belfort realises that making stock illegally is much easier as a new company in town so starts a "pump and dump" scam to make his riches.

Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio)

DiCaprio won a bidding war with Brad Pitt for the rights to the film in 2007 and initially was going to work with Ridley Scott and Warner Brothers in 2010 before it was shelved. Martin Scorcese came onboard when Red Granite Pictures took the rights and ensured he would have final say on the content meaning it wouldn't have to be scaled down to fit a certain rating or length (hence the R rating and the run time of 174mins). In DiCaprio's performance he holds back on nothing, putting in a full-on show the whole time as the charismatic yet under-hand leader of Stratton Oakmont.

Jonah Hill moves back into Moneyball territory although in a slightly more goofy comedic role as Donnie Azhoff who is Belfort's geeky right hand man. Donnie idolizes Belfort and through this they become friends as well as colleagues in the scam which sees them share their newly created wealth on the usual Wall Street luxuries like drugs, booze and of course women. This film looked like a lot of fun to make as for large parts it is just one party followed by another for the opening two hours of the film and only in the final hour does the plot really develop in a meaningful yet possibly rushed manner. It was clear that Scorcese and DiCaprio wanted to focus on the high life attained by Belfort with the repercussions with the FBI and Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) more of an afterthought throughout the plot.

The Stratton Oakmont employees celebrate

The Wolf of Wall Street produces many funny and random moments especially when the likes of Belfort and Azhoff are high on Cocaine or Quaaludes but also produces a rather slick and subtle conversations between Belfort and Agent Denham on Belfort's yacht. Both characters imply and hint at questions whilst saying something different as they both try to manipulate the other, it was a clever scene that failed to be repeated as they met again in future scenes. In essence this sums up the film, why use a subtle method to portray your message when a battering ram will do just fine which I imagine is the Wall Street way.

2.5/4 Enjoyable but brash and shallow look at the dirty side of Wall Street