When one thinks of a Martin Scorsese film, it's easy to conjure up images of violence, brutality, mobsters, sociopaths, and memorably profane dialogue exchanges. With the exception of that last part (more than 500 f-bombs this time around, folks), The Wolf of Wall Street is devoid of all those usual staples. Surprised? You shouldn't be. Consider that the director's two most recent movies before this one were a member of the "mind-fuck" sub-genre (Shutter Island) and a family film (Hugo). Scorsese possesses much more versatility as a filmmaker than many give him credit for, and with his sure-handed direction and phenomenal acting from all involved, he comes up with yet another winner with The Wolf of Wall Street.
Based on former stockbroker Jordan Belfort's memoir of the same name, The Wolf of Wall Street tells of the rise and fall of a man consumed by the "money above all else" mentality that infects New York's financial district. There's an important twist, however-- most of this plays out like a comedy. Yes, there are a few serious scenes and an important underlying message, but for much of the three-hour running length, Scorsese's film is shooting for the funny bone. Its success rate is remarkably high, and I commend the filmmakers for going this offbeat route. How many more standard-order bio-pics do we need, anyway?
The Wolf of Wall Street opens, believe it or not, with a dwarf-tossing contest. It's there we're introduced to Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), and we flash back to his early days of breaking into the stock industry. Unfortunately for him, he completes his Series 7 Exam and earns his license on Black Monday, the day of the largest crash since the 1920s. Soon out of work and looking to make some inroads, he discovers a small firm specializing in "penny stocks," applies for a job, and becomes an almost overnight sensation among his co-workers. When he becomes wealthy enough, he founds his own company, Stratton Oakmont, where he and his right-hand-man, Donnie Azof (Jonah Hill) help grow it to gargantuan levels. He eventually divorces his wife for a younger, blonde, former Miller Light girl named Naomi (Margot Robbie) and develops a serious addiction to quaaludes. The SEC starts to suspect something isn't quite right with Stratton Oakmont (after all, they're essentially running a gigantic pump-and-dump scheme), but that's nothing compared to when FBI Agent Greg Coleman (Kyle Chandler) opens a case on Belfort.
Leonardo DiCaprio, in his fifth outing for Scorsese, is clearly the director's go-to-guy, and rarely has the pairing flourished like it does here. DiCaprio is magnetic from beginning to end; he presents Belfort as an oily yet charming leader who knows exactly how to help anyone get rich quick but loses so much more in the process, including any sense of morality. His speeches to throngs of men and women, who work in such incredibly close proximity in the phone room that they resemble packs of wolves, are something to behold. Think Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross or Ben Affleck in Boiler Room, only instead of that personality dominating a single scene, it carries an entire film. And yes, many of these are laugh aloud hysterical.
Scorsese's leading man receives admirable support all around from both big names and relative unknowns. Jonah Hill matches DiCaprio's manic energy stride for stride; a scene featuring the two of them tripping out on industrial-strength quaaludes is physical comedy at its finest. Australian actress Margot Robbie proves she's a lot more than a pretty face and a hard body with her lively performance, and the character is treated as such as well. Belfort didn't just dump one "plain" wife for a "hotter" one, he felt he had a connection with Naomi and later fathered two children with her. Not that it worked out any better for him. Finally, a cornucopia of familiar faces all delight with their various supporting turns, including Rob Reiner as Jordan's father, Jean Dujardin as a Swiss banker, and Kyle Chandler as the primary antagonist.
In most R-rated Scorsese films, the director pushes the limit of the rating through violence. Here, it's with sex and nudity. As such, Scorsese was forced to make edits to avoid being slapped with the dreaded NC-17, but even after that, the finished product is still chock-full of naked bodies (mostly female, some male) and kinky activities. The emphasis on hedonism is so overpowering that the movie can't help but lose a little steam at the beginning of its third hour (I'd say a running time of 2:35 would've made this movie just about perfect). It rebounds though, when the proverbial shoe eventually falls on Belfort and Scorsese's point about the dehumanizing effect of doing nothing other than chasing money, women, drugs, rinsing and repeating rings loud and clear.
Is The Wolf of Wall Street an Oscar contender? That depends largely on your definition of the term. This is certainly a movie about something, and it crackles with energy and powerhouse acting, but time will tell if the Academy deems it "too comedic" to be taken seriously. Nevertheless, this is a very strong piece of work from a leading man at the peak of his powers and a filmmaker who adds another strong chapter to his storied legacy.
Rating: ***1/2 (out of ****)
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