By Amara Dumlao
Looking for the opposite of a heartwarming holiday film? Martin Scorsese’s newest, “The Wolf of Wall
Street”, has got you covered. This is the story of Jordon Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a charismatic stock
broker living in a demented fairytale of self-fulfilling no holds bar experiences. Single minded beyond
the point of recklessness, the self-entitled Belfort lives without regret as he climbs his way to the top
stepping on anyone or any rules that get in his way.
Beyond DiCaprio, the cast contains other familiar faces. Johah Hill costars as Donnie Azoff, Belfort’s
best friend and co-worker. The lovely Margot Robbie also has significant screen time as Belfort’s vapid
and naïve love interest, Naomi Lapaglia. There is also a memorable cameo by Matthew McConaughey.
But “The Wolf of Wall Street” is really all about DiCaprio. While some movies limit an actor’s range, this
one reminds audiences why Leonardo DiCaprio is a movie star in the first place. A far cry from his usual
role as love interest, DiCaprio portrays Belfort as awful, engrossing, and egomaniacal, while keeping the
character likeable, charming, and funny.
A little longer than the usual picture with a runtime of 180 minutes, “The Wolf of Wall Street” still
doesn’t waste screen time. Brimming with acute attention to the details in soundtrack, costumes, and
the progression of time, the lengthy film stays fresh and realistic, even as the seemingly impossible plot
unfolds.
This is not a flick for the family due to the graphic scenes of sinful behavior and hazy moral storylines.
A tale of rip-offs and self-justification, “The Wolf of Wall Street” is the film equivalent of hopping in the
backseat of a limo in Vice City. But it is also visual feast for movie gawkers seeking moments that will be
permanently seared into their long term memories.
Not the tale of a good guy gone bad, “The Wolf of Wall Street” is the story of a bad guy gone even
worse.
4.5/5
