The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) User Reviews

"Money is the oxygen of capitalism and I wanna breathe more than any other human being alive."

[notoriousCASK · 9/10 · 24 October 2018]

It's no surprise that Scorsese is associated with the gangster genre with films such as The Departed, Goodfellas and Casino, of which the last two are possibly the best pure examples of the genre. In Goodfellas the gangsters are dangerous but they operate on a more underground level, in Casino they practically run a major city and can do whatever they like. The gangsters were and will always be a part in America's system. Now, the gangsters are not just accepted by the system, but are considered to be an integral part of it. In the first two films, the gangster is threatening and dangerous, but avoidable. In The Wolf of Wall Street, he's calling to hustle you at home and you don't even know it. Some people view The Wolf of Wall Street as a glorification of Jordan Belfort's lifestyle and want to be like him, as Scorsese portrays this life by its nature, enticing. That's the way it works, and it's impossible to portray it accurately without showing how a charismatic man like Belfort can suck an unsuspecting person into a world of money and fame. The film though, shows us just how empty and destructive that life can be.

There is an undeniable similarity between the instantaneous joy, energy and euphoria that we have while watching The Wolf of Wall Street and how Jordan Belfort lives his life, this is a movie where the director skillfully mixes form and content to create an experience which is as hyper and as instantly ecstatic as the life of its flashy and opportunistic characters.

The direction by Martin Scorsese which still has infectious energy and power is impeccable, there is no other director who has mastered pacing like he has. This is a three-hour movie that moves lightning fast and always manages to keep the audience invested in the story throughout the whole duration. Each scene is packed with so much visual information, and it is fast paced and quickly edited, which complements the general tone of the film. The cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto is gorgeous as well and displays an optimal color palette throughout the whole film. Each shot also looks precise, even during some of the more chaotic scenes.

The script is fantastic, filled with many great and memorable lines of dialogue. Every character has a well-defined arc and motives, and the story is given proper breathing room to blossom. The performances are also exquisite, especially Leonardo DiCaprio who gives one of the best performances of his career and portrays the opportunistic nature of Jordan Belfort's character with great commitment as you can see a lustful, hedonistic and impulsive sex & drug-addict man who only wants to have more fun. Supporting him with equal passion is Jonah Hill as Donnie Azoff, Belfort's sidekick, and even he manages to make a mark of his own. Margot Robbie plays Naomi, Belfort's second wife and she does an alluring job in her given role. Matthew McConaughey is in for a very short duration as Mark Hanna, Belfort's mentor, but even in that little time, he is the show-stealer and he dominates the screen unlike anyone else.

Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter set out to create a film about the Wall Street excess, and by definition, it contains an excessive amount of everything, such as cursing, sex, nudity, drugs, alcohol and partying. But the film is not really about those things. The story of The Wolf of Wall Street boils down to money, that "most-addictive drug" Belfort speaks of, and not just what it can buy, but what it can do to people. Not just how it changes one's lifestyle but the effects it has on one's morals, beliefs, and values, and how it can effectively change not just how a person thinks and feels but how they operate at their core.

With a collection of truly incredible films, The Wolf of Wall Street stands out as one of Scorsese's best films, my personal favorite and by far his most humorous film to date. He truly went all out and it paid off in a hilarious satire on the reverence of money, drugs, women, and the admiration of a criminal money-maker. The Wolf of Wall Street is maddening cinema that's already high on coke but still continues to snort more white powder every 5 minutes for 3 hours. This is a fascinating vignette of excess, greed, abuse and decay and it's one of the best movies of the decade and surely one of the most entertaining movies ever made.

It really is a comedy

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 18 June 2014]

There is a reason this is called Wolf of Wall Street and not Lion of Wall Street. This is not supposed to be a story about some good guy or misunderstood guy doing things that are a little off. And therefor it was important to make this a comedy. When I watched it, I didn't think it would qualify as comedy. Thought of it more of a drama with some comedic moments thrown in.

The way it starts should indicate if this is something you want to watch. Never forget, as someone else also stated, this is supposed to be entertainment and does not take itself seriously. If you are not on that level with the movie, you will call it names. And that is OK, because obviously the movie is out there and it will not be everyones taste. That's why you have to decide early on, if you actually want to watch it or not.

If you don't feel like it, don't watch it. Save yourself some time and watch something else that interests you instead. If it hits a nerve with you though, you will revel in it. Especially in the performance Leonardo Di Caprio is giving. There is a scene involving him driving "carefully", that has to be seen to be believed ...

Oscar worthy

[karolin-99263 · 10/10 · 29 December 2020]

The movie Leonardo DiCaprio should have gotten an Oscar for. His portrayal of the character is perfect. The movie is well-written, leaving no details out of the original story. Martin Scorsese never fails to impress. One of the only example where the movie is better than the book. The movie never gets boring, I could watch this anytime.

Decadent, shocking, brilliant.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 29 November 2023]

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

Martin Scorsese isn't just a film maker, he's a genius, he's The Master of film, and this is another of his jewels. The Wolf of Wall Street is one of my all time favourites.

The remarkable story of Jordan Belfort, is love to know how much of this is actually true. There are multiple shocking scenes, my jaw dropped multiple times, one thing is clear, money talks.

It's shocking, but it's also hilarious, there are so many funny moments, that scene with the dog at the end of the bed, too funny.

Production values are off the charts, this film truly looks tremendous, it feels as though no one frame is wasted, no opportunity is missed to show off the wealth, the orgy of sex, drugs and money.

Another stellar performance from Leonardo DiCaprio, he is outstanding as Belfort, one of his very best, not only does he look the part, but he exudes the character's greed's and desires.

Robbie and Hill are first rate. It gets an extra point for featuring Joanna Lumley, albeit in a small role.

A fascinating story.

10/10.

Leo's best performance of all time!!

[abdulazizalsaad-73053 · 10/10 · 12 April 2021]

Di caprio was robbed in the oscars whether you like it or not, the only reason why people give this movie a low rating is because of the over nudity, and it's the same reason why leo didn't get the oscar in my opinion, which is what I don't understand!!!, it's an r rated movie, so obviously there will be nudity, it's not a kid's movie!!!! , it's easily leo's best performance and scorcese's second best movie after goodfellas.

This is easily Leo's best performance ever!

[alexscott-35299 · 10/10 · 15 November 2021]

This movie is absolutely amazing and it deserved way more Oscar wins. Leonardo DiCaprio is unbelievable and this movie is his best performance and he isn't the only one putting in an amazing performance, this film is littered with them, Jonah Hill is amazing, Margot Robbie is so good to say this was her first major role. I love the story that this movie is telling and the direction on how they tell it is amazing aswell. This is easily one of the best movies of all time and it will go down in history as one of Leo's best ever movies. I love it so much!

Excess Is Boring, Especially When It's Three Hours Long

[evanston_dad · 5/10 · 9 January 2014]

Martin Scorsese at his undisciplined worst.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" is 90 minutes of glib satire stretched over an interminable 180 minute film. I get it, I get it -- the excess of the film itself matches the excess of the Wall Street world depicted in it. But excess, both as a subject matter and as a style, is boring after a while. The first hour or so of the film blows the roof off the joint, and I was sure I was experiencing a film that would go down as one of Scorsese's best. But as it went on and on, and Leonardo DiCaprio's performance became more and more histrionic, and the film made the same point over and over, I had that depressing feeling that comes when a movie you're really enjoying makes a wrong turn and becomes one you really dislike.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" is of course critic proof. Anyone who doesn't like it is instantly categorized by its fan boys as stodgy and unable to handle the subject matter, as if it's an impossibility that someone could dislike the film simply because they don't think it's any good. Whatever. It's an overblown mess, stupid when it's trying to be funny (the Quaalude scene, for example) and in desperate need of someone who had the balls to tell one of America's greatest directors that he was letting his material run away with itself.

Grade: C

High energy and wonderfully excessive as it delivers an engaging true story, but the lack of morality anywhere was a limiting factor

[bob the moo · 17 January 2014]

This film arrived in the UK with awards and Oscar nominations all around it, adding an expectation which it really didn't need adding since even without any of that it is ultimately a Scorsese film with a big name cast. It also arrives with some other stuff because the film has been criticized for near glamorization of the excesses that Belfort was able to experience with his ill-gotten funds and, to be honest, it is an impression that isn't helped when you consider that this film was put forward to the Golden Globes in the Musical/Comedy section. Now I am sure that was a political move by the studio, but it does say something about the film because indeed for most of it we have stuff so unbelievable and so excessive that it is hard not to laugh at it. It is hard not to enjoy it.

And this is a problem, because the first 2 hours and a bit of this film is really engaging and enchanting in how much of a rush it gives you, how enticing it is and just how much vibrant energy it all has. The viewer is swept along and I guess to a point this is the film doing its job well because not only are we being told a story but we are first hand seeing how easy it is to get caught up in the grab for success, for money, for status. In this regard the film works really well because throughout the film I really was glad to be part of it and wanted it for myself; I don't think the film goes out of its way to glamorize this excess and this life, but for sure it doesn't do much to balance it – and this really is my problem with the film.

The structure, subjects and delivery of this film is so inherently similar to Goodfellas that it is hard not to mention it. If you remember the opening of Goodfellas you'll remember that it opens with a memorably violent scene where an near-dead man in the back of a car is stabbed by Hill and his colleagues in a scene that is oppressive and violent but yet ends with the narration telling us "as far back as I can remember I wanted to be a gangster" and snaps to credits under a big track from Tony Bennett. This scene is important because it works as a microcosm of the whole film – the appeal but also the cost, all in one place. Wolf of Wall Street never has any of that and it hurts it. I suspect the message of the film is that our financial systems are screwed and that ultimately the rich will never be in the same world as the average person, because this is what I took from the rather sobering final scenes. However if this is the point it is trying to make then it really hurts itself with the rest of the film seeming to say "so why not get on board". I know this is not the case but the lack of a "point" or an agenda it the film means that it naturally fills it with its own, which is a weird feeling.

But then again – I guess it is a comedy. So the infamous Quaalude scene is not horrific but rather hilarious, the scenes of excess and of criminality are not equally appealing and repulsive – they are almost totally appealing, we hardly get the other side or get to see a victim here, and a few seconds on the subway with the FBI agent really does nothing but yet again make the suggestion that "it's all broken so why not at least get rich yourself". Getting away from this, it is a well made film. Scorsese makes this award season's second film to owe a massive debt to Goodfellas (American Hustle being the other) and he directs the film with energy; music is used well as one would expect and the editing makes the film pop. DiCaprio is great in the lead – OK he doesn't find the heart of the character, but the film doesn't ask him to. Instead he is charismatic and energetic, drawing the viewer in and giving the film its energy. The supporting cast is deep with names and familiar faces and it is a statement about how well the film holds the viewer, because it isn't distracting no matter how many famous faces or supporting character from TV appear (although I did notice that this and American Hustle had lots of faces from HBO's Boardwalk Empire). Jonah Hill is over the top in a way that works, although I am surprised to see him getting an Oscar nomination for it in such a crowded year.

Wolf of Wall Street has had a lot of praise and this will continue as the Oscars approach and are awarded. Personally I enjoyed the film as a funny true story delivered with energy and excess but in many ways it is not Goodfellas and the most important of these is that the film lacks a moral core to itself, to its characters and to its message. I don't mind the "it's all screwed so who cares" message that it ultimately seems to give, but I didn't feel comfortable with how wide a smile it had on its face while it was delivering it.

The best movie of 2013

[diegocoda · 10/10 · 22 September 2021]

The movie is just the best, the acting is great and even I say that it was Oscar-worthy and the plot is simply one of the best ones; the message that it brings to you that money brings power and it is not always for the best because in this movie we see the downfall of a man that will learn that actually in life the money can be a drug and will simply make you cause damage to yourself.

Leo is one of the rare reliable actors

[hassanmy-03285 · 10/10 · 13 February 2021]

You can literally watch any movie for leo without reading the reviews, but this movie is special, it's been the fastest 3 hours in my life .

The Wolf of Wall Street is Leonardo DiCaprio's Crowning Work

[ClaytonDavis · 9/10 · 17 December 2013]

Martin Scorsese has done it again. His newest and most refreshing effort he's contributed to the world of cinema in years, The Wolf of Wall Street is a roaring thrill ride that is both absolutely hilarious and meticulously constructed. It also presents Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio in possibly his finest acting performance of his career. At one-minute shy of three hours, I was both engaged and hypnotized nearly the entire duration. A comedic epic that studies the behavior and cultures of a time in America, feels like the uncovering of a time capsule that was buried and dug up to give insight into our current financial crisis. Much more than just laughs, it turns on the dramatic elements early enough in the film to warrant considerable reactions about the choices of our key characters. Expertly paced with intelligent moral questions presented, The Wolf of Wall Street is one of the best films of the year.

Telling the story of Jordan Belfort, a young Wall Street broker that gets involved in drugs, money, and even more drugs during the 80's and 90's. In his tenure trading (and stealing), Jordan marries, divorces, does drugs, marries again, does even more drugs, makes solid friendships, and believe it or not, does a lot more drugs. Watching the destruction of Jordan acted as a documentarian's insight that felt like I was watching "Intervention" without the family that cares. The Wolf of Wall Street is a black comedy, giving hints of drama. Natural comparisons will fly to Oliver Stone's Wall Street which is accurate but you can see subtle hints of films like Trading Places, Glengarry Glen Ross, and even American Psycho. That's a testament to Scorsese's outstanding direction and Terence Winter's masterful screenplay. Scorsese keeps Wolf life-size, sprinkled with characters that are both geniuses and morons, but functioning morons. They're like the frat pack group that sat in a corner on my college campus, being loud and obnoxious, and made terrible life choices that they still aren't aware of until this day. Scorsese puts together an all-star cast to inhabit these beings that includes DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bernathal, and Kyle Chandler. All of which seem to be having the time of their lives.

A lot of the credit of the film's overall success has to be awarded to Leonardo DiCaprio. I've never seen him truly "go for it" in a way that he exhibits as Jordan Belfort. In his breaking of the fourth wall, to his long but completely engaging monologues about life, money, and greed, it's the most assured and compelling work by the actor to date. When DiCaprio unleashed his talents in the mid-90's in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? and later stole the hearts of tween girls everywhere in Titanic, who knew this is the role he'd been gearing up to play. This is the role of his career and something that the Academy Awards should look to for his long overdue recognition. It's a charming and adventurous turn that presents a conundrum to the audience as we find ourselves both enamored and loathing the pure essence of Jordan. A sequence of DiCaprio crawling on the floor will probably be the scene of the year. This is DiCaprio's crowning achievement.

As the magnetic and cheesy-minded right-hand man, Jonah Hill's performance as Donnie Azoff is another great turn for the 30-year-old actor. He's allowed to explore some of his comedic ticks and beats that he may not have ever had the opportunity to explore in films like Superbad or 21 Jump Street. In Wolf, he relies on his own instincts, and his chemistry with DiCaprio, which has helped him before for his Oscar-nominated work in Moneyball opposite Brad Pitt. Matthew McConaughey, is one scene shy of winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. While his work in Dallas Buyers Club will bring him the acclaim and recognition that he deserves, The Wolf of Wall Street is a prime example of what he should be doing when he's not working or seeking out the strong, independent features that are geared for awards recognition. Stealing every frame and focus from DiCaprio in his ten minute screen time, McConaughey utilizes all his charm and spunk as Mark Hanna, the mentor to young Jordan as he started out.

Like any great Scorsese film, the women are in full-force and given the opportunity to shine like the others. Cristin Millotti, a toned down and tragic version of Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny, is sensational in her brief appearances on screen. Beautiful and sympathetic, she offers much needed serious and dramatic elements to Jordan's outrageous antics. In the end, a star is born in the gorgeous and vivacious Margot Robbie as Naomi Lapaglia, Jordan's second wife. Whoever was going to be cast as Naomi, had to be an actress of considerable talent and had the ability to really be the sexy kitten but still warrant an emotional reaction from the audience when called upon. Margot Robbie was the perfect choice and she'll need to owe Scorsese royalties for years to come with the roles she'll be offered following this. Robbie is pure magic and is everything she's required to be. She's the more elusive, compelling, and more thought out version of Scarlett Johansson's character in Don Jon.

I loved every second of The Wolf of Wall Street. Terence Winter's script is a natural and well-oiled machine that produces the words of a demigod. You couldn't make these things up. Thelma Schoonmaker is the utmost professional and continues to shine film after film. You won't find another dedicated and glossed editing work this year. The other supporting actors do sensational work especially Kyle Chandler, who has a very well-constructed exchange on a boat with DiCaprio, has us asking more and more, why is this guy not helming his own films on a consistent basis yet?

Wolf in a $2,000 suit

[tomsview · 9/10 · 14 June 2014]

An old adage goes that if on a certain day, everyone in the world received a million dollars, by the end of the day, ten percent of the people would have all the money.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" pretty much shows how that could happen.

Based on Jordan Belfort's book, this is a very entertaining movie - although probably not for those who lost their money. The film follows Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) from newbie stockbroker to head of Stratton Oakmont, the largest 'Over The Counter' stockbroking firm in the US.

Along the way he has two marriages, acquires luxury homes and automobiles, a sea going yacht with a helicopter, a taste for wild office sex parties, which would put a Roman orgy to shame, and a huge drug habit. But even after the FBI steps in and everything unravels, the guy still can't help making money.

The movie is loud, lewd and often hilarious; it doesn't have a boring minute.

Matthew McConaughey gives a brief but telling performance as Mark Hanna who initiates Belfort into the darker side of Wall Street. He also introduces the tribal chest-thumping chant that becomes a motif throughout the film.

Aussie Margot Robbie is hard to take your eyes off as Belfort's second wife, Naomi. She was also an amusing guest on talk shows when the movie was released where she told how she pulled off the Brooklyn accent, and kept the news about her nude scenes from her family for as long as possible.

But this is Leonardo's movie. Although in his portrayal of Belfort, where there appears to be almost no moral or ethical boundaries, he keeps our sympathy because he can actually laugh at himself; it's a high energy performance, but with a light touch.

In a way, the performance has echoes of the one he gave for Spielberg in "Catch Me If You Can". Despite the fact that both Jordan Belfort and Frank Abagnale Jr. break the law, their sheer audacity dazzles us. Also, both Spielberg and Scorsese have great comedic timing; they know how to deliver a punch line. If you were looking for a reason why this film works better than Scorsese's "The Aviator", which also starred Leonardo, it could simply be the latter film's lack of humour - Hughes was eccentric but he wasn't funny.

Enjoyable as "The Wolf of Wall Street" is, at the end you can't help wondering if even half of it is true, how it is that with people like Belfort and his friends helping themselves to such over-sized slices of the pie, that the world's economy hasn't descended to the level it did in 1929. In a way, it's actually a very scary movie.

The Wolf of Wall Street stands as another masterpiece by Scorsese and DiCaprio and is an absolute must-see

[kevin_robbins · 10/10 · 3 October 2023]

I recently watched The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) on Prime. The storyline follows a young man in New York who excels at day trading and quickly rises through the ranks to amass great wealth, eventually starting his own company. As he becomes more affluent and successful, he draws the government's attention for his activities. Can he elude the long arm of the law, or will they bring about his downfall?

Directed by the iconic Martin Scorsese (Casino) and featuring stellar performances from a talented cast including Leonardo DiCaprio (Django), Jonah Hill (Superbad), Margot Robbie (Barbie), Matthew McConaughey (Killer Joe), Shea Whigham (Splinter), Kyle Chandler (Super 8) and Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead).

This film boasts an outstanding cast, mesmerizing performances, sharp dialogue, superb narration, and features beautiful women throughout, alongside unbelievable circumstances that capture the viewer's imagination. Every scene within the office setting is mind-blowing, making you yearn to be part of that extravagant lifestyle. While the ending may be somewhat predictable, as all good things must eventually come to an end, especially illegal ones, DiCaprio and Hill's dynamic chemistry shines through. The supporting roles played by Robbie and Chandler are executed flawlessly, and the cameo by the actual Wolf of Wall Street at the end adds an intriguing touch.

In conclusion, The Wolf of Wall Street stands as another masterpiece by Scorsese and DiCaprio and is an absolute must-see. I would give this a 10/10 and strongly recommend it.

sometimes hilarious

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 10 November 2014]

Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a regular guy from Long Island working at the ground level in a Wall Street firm where Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey) is the star broker. On the first day of him becoming a licensed stockbroker, the market crashes in Black Monday. His firm goes bankrupt and he's thrown into the streets. With the support of his wife Teresa (Cristin Milioti), he ends up working in a Long Island boiler room dealing in penny stocks. He starts his own firm gathering a group of questionable salesman like Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill). He quickly rises gaining the attention of FBI Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler). It is a drug-filled, stripper-strutting, midget-throwing wild-partying office. Jordan has an affair with Naomi Lapaglia (Margot Robbie) and eventually even marrying her. However the high life doesn't last even with their own Swiss banker.

This has some funny moments and sometimes even gut busting hilarity. I do have a small problem trying to enjoy this movie at the start. Jordan becomes essentially a con man. The joke is that they're having all this fun but I can never forget that the fun is done on everybody else's dime. The characters laugh while I cringe. About halfway through, I do get acclimatized and feel more at ease with the movie. There are some great scenes. The scene of Jordan rallying the troops for the Steve Madden IPO is amazing. Leo gives a full-out performance.

Wolf of Wall Street review

[Al_The_Strange · 9/10 · 29 December 2013]

If you've seen The Goodfellas or Casino, then you'll know the story of The Wolf of Wall Street. This is another tale of a criminal whose ambitions sweep him away into a debauched world of dirty money, out-of-control substance abuse, endless lies, a troubled family life, and a downward spiral of corruption that inevitably leads to his own undoing. Only thing is, this is less about the gangsters and mafia, and more about white-collar crime. The guys wear suits, work in proper offices, and everything they do is just business; funnily enough, this whole movie still plays out like a kind of gangster film.

Based on the memoirs of Jordan Belfort - the real-life stock broker who made millions by selling shoddy stocks to average joes - the film showcases one seriously messed-up slimeball of a man. If his scheme sounds familiar, it's because it's been the inspiration behind the 2000 film Boiler Room, and this film covers much of the same concepts, albeit with better structure. The film maintains a close and intimate focus on the man as he rises to power, suckers thousands into his schemes, and then lives a life of extreme excess. And it is extreme: the whole film becomes laden with drugs, sex, superficial luxuries, material things, and characters who want nothing more than to take and consume everything. The sheer corruption becomes palpable on-screen, and I couldn't help but to shake my head at numerous scenes when I saw just how far these wolfish characters have gone in their unrestrained partying and debauchery. I have no clue as to how closely this film adapts the real-life events, but at times it's almost hard to believe that things could have gone this far. And yet, the excesses serve to underscore key themes and criticisms on the American dream; the pursuit of money and success, through any means, remains the main drive of the characters and the movie, and it leads to a fairly hard-hitting downfall.

This film features good-looking photography and editing. Acting is great: Leonardo DiCaprio is practically perfect as the titular character, and the rest of the cast pulls their weight really well (including Jonah Hill, who seems to fit into his character's archetype very comfortably). Writing is really sharp and good; the film is full of great lines and great speeches. There are some great-looking sets, props, and costumes on display in this film. Music has a varied mix of songs, and they're all used really well for their intended effect.

The Wolf of Wall Street is every bit as good as Martin Scorsese's previous work with The Goodfellas and Casino. All these films work with similar plots and themes, but TWOWS is like a gangster film masked by the thin veil of upper-class corporate swindling. It is a film that candidly shows the crimes and excesses in full, before proving that, even for the super-rich, crime still doesn't pay.

Recommended! 4.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Perfect)

Even when you have everything, you still want more

[siderite · 7/10 · 3 February 2014]

It is difficult to watch a movie that you absolutely know how it will end. Scorsese is known for casting Leo diCaprio as the young energetic underdog that gets the world, only to lose it wholesale. The other movies of this sort, though, were interesting because they featured the criminal underworld or some other bizarre and exotic environment. The Wolf..., in comparison, is a movie about spammers and thieves that get drunk and high all the time in order to keep up with their own fantasies about their lives. Really, you could make it about Romanian hackers and it would have been a much better and fun film, with the same general ideas.

Even worse for this three hour movie, Matthew McConaughey appears in a tiny role at the start of the film and explains it all: you don't want to make money for the client, you want to keep him betting on stocks, getting fabulously rich - on paper, while you get hard cash from commissions. The basic trade that we are supposed to empathize with is phone spamming and conning greedy and uninformed clients.

The money that gets generated for the stock traders "more than we knew what to do with" doesn't go into "diversification", doesn't go into growing the people that until then were hungry bastards looking to pay their mortgage, it isn't invested into anything. It just goes on expensive cars, yachts, prostitutes, drugs and trophy wives. And while I admit many people would sell their soul to get to the point where they can do that, the outcome of such a behavior is obviously not good if that is all you do.

And I am not being moralizing here. Hell, screw the bitches and snort the dope, but do something with yourself, plan for when the money will not be so good, make sure you will never get screwed over by technicalities, government agents, false friends or accidents. Instead the characters in the film act like there is no tomorrow. Literally they behave like the end of the world is around the corner. For three hours. It quickly gets old.

There is some value in the ending, when DiCaprio's character is terrified he is going to get to jail, only to discover than when you have money, it isn't that bad at all, but other than that I just wanted to see the film end. There is no cat and mouse game with the FBI, nothing comes as a surprise, it just goes on and on with how wonderful it is to have enough money to spend it stupidly when you earn it by praying on people even more stupid than yourself.

Bottom line: while DiCaprio makes a good role - after all, he is a damn good actor - the film itself is only mildly entertaining. Considering it is based on an autobiographical book, you might forgive the film for being too real and too boring, but there is still the matter of why someone would choose to make a movie on such a material. I watched the film with two other people and they were both awed by the opulence depicted in the film and the comparison of their own lives to that of the protagonists. I guess there is that; learn that if you are ingenious enough, hungry enough, you can make yourself have all the money in the world. Perhaps Scorsese wanted this, or perhaps he missed the point with me, because all I felt when the film was over is that I am happy with my life and I am glad the movie finally ended.

It is interesting to read about Jordan Belfort, that's a real person. Also, his story is told in another movie from 2000, called Boiler Room, with Giovanni Ribisi and Vin Diesel. Might be worth a look.

At what point does a movie about deplorable debauchery become deplorable debauchery?

[cricketbat · 4/10 · 28 December 2021]

One of the many reasons The Wolf of Wall Street didn't sit right with me is that I couldn't tell what it was trying to say. It seemed to glorify what Jordan Belfort and his cohorts did instead of condemning it. And at some points, the movie that was trying to tell us about deplorable debauchery became deplorable debauchery itself. It's an interesting story featuring good acting, but overall it's just kind of disgusting.

Where Human Flaws Make a Rotten Core

[Serge_Zehnder · 17 December 2013]

Brilliantly acted, superbly written and as one would expect from a picture by Martin Scorsese, it is a masterclass of directorial craft.

Showy when it needs to be, but also quiet and contemplative. "The Wolf of Wall Street" is the equivalent of something like "Good Fellas" or even more so "Casino" but set in the world of finance. The suits might be more expensive but the people who wear them are just as sick and violent as their street-mob counterparts. Sardonic in humor and unflinching in showing the depravity of its characters, it marks somewhat of a different approach to the world of stock-trading than Oliver Stone's "Wall Street".

Where Stone seems more in line with Bertold Brecht who considered theater (or in this case film) a moral institution, does Scorsese take the position of the omnipresent observer of the dark side of the American and in many cases the human dream.

Leonard DiCaprio gives another stellar performance of great intensity and even greater tragedy while this tale of corruption, greed and self-righteousness unfolds.

It's a vast panorama that shows how during the last twenty-five to thirty years gullibility as well as our innate greed make all of us accomplices in this never-ending pyramid scheme far away from any reality.

One could almost hear Scorsese's clerical background come to the fore again, according to which nobody is without sin, and therefore we are all susceptible to corruption.

It is our decision on which side we choose to live that makes the difference. For every individual but also society as a whole.

The funniest movie of 2013

[TheConnoisseurReviews · 9/10 · 25 December 2013]

"The Wolf of Wall Street" is infectiously entertaining. It is probably the funniest movie I have seen all year with witty dialogue, over the top characters, and filled with energy that bleeds off the screen. Between all the fun however,  there is also a story about addiction and how it can cause a downward spiral in your life whether it be drugs, money, or power.

Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese does a wonderful job keeping this movie at a high at all times. Never once does this movie lose it's energy or sense of humor much like the drug induced characters. There are a lot of quick cuts and edits to keep the movie feeling as If you are on drugs as well as playing high energy music in some of the more serious situations.

The cast brings their "A" game. The stand out is obviously Leonardo DiCaprio, who pretty much owns and excels any scene he is in. This film really showcases his diverse range.

Overall "The Wolf of Wall Street" is a full on adrenaline ride that never loses momentum. It's directed with a lot of flair and energy and has an incredibly well written script that gives it depth and a ton of laughs. The cast is fantastic and DiCaprio gives his best and most fun filled performance to date. I really enjoyed this movie and think it's the funniest movie of the year 4.5/5

Reserved for the male of the species

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 11 April 2014]

The Wolf Of Wall Street details the rise and fall in real life of one Jordan Belfort who for a while was living high and wide off of other people's money. It was good while it lasted until some relentless FBI agents took him down partly because of his own hubris.

Leonardo DiCaprio as he did with such other real life figures like Howard Hughes and J. Edgar Hoover, each of who lived large in his own way with power, DiCaprio lives large with money. At first it's the realization of the American dream, DiCaprio the middle class kid wants to go on Wall Street. He goes, but then is one of thousands cast adrift by the stock market crash of the late Reagan years. DiCaprio is not about to give up his dream.

He organizes his own brokerage house, similar to what is seen in the more modestly financed film The Boiler Room. But DiCaprio takes it far from a penny stock outfit. With a collection of his own ill assorted bunch of friends chief among them is Jonah Hill, these guys and I do mean it is reserved for the male of the species DiCaprio makes obscene amounts of money and spends it obscenely. That is sure to attract all kinds of law enforcement attention.

I have seen very few films that have depicted the alpha male world so well. Women just do not compete in DiCaprio's world. All they serve as are sex objects. Women work on Wall Street in the more traditional brokerage houses, but not with him where being one of the boys is the first requirement. The world consists of 50% orgies and 50% piling up paper profits and later on hiding them from authorities. True of DiCaprio and true to a lesser extent of all his associates.

Martin Scorsese directed this film and handled the film like he did one of his gangster epics like Goodfellas. The narration of the film is by DiCaprio and it takes you from his rise to where law enforcement has him between a rock and a hard place. Like Ray Liotta in Goodfellas a combination of drugs and hubris makes him think he's invulnerable. But in Goodfellas would not have had a scene where the wise guys just out and out dared to challenge the FBI as DiCaprio does with agent Kyle Chandler. It so reminded me of that famous incident from 1984 where presidential candidate Gary Hart dares reporters to follow him around to catch him doing anything outside his marriage. And of course they did.

Five Oscar nominations went to The Wolf Of Wall Street, nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and nominations for DiCaprio and Jonah Hill as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. Hill was something of a revelation. The kind of nondescript character that you wouldn't look at twice, Hill gets taken to a world that he could only imagine in dreams wet or dry by DiCaprio. In his own Hill is almost as fascinating a story as DiCaprio.

The guy who beat Leo out for Best Actor has a brief but telling role as a mentor of sorts. Matthew McConaughey plays a stockbroker who takes him under his wing and they have a great scene at a club where he's getting his first three martini lunch. McConaughey only forgets to teach DiCaprio one thing, discretion.

I can understand why women would truly hate this film as they are nothing more than pawns in a male power game, but The Wolf Of Wall Street gives us a fascinating look at a man who tried to play with the big boys of the Stock Exchange and for a while, did.

A Three-Hour Bacchanalia Caught on Film

[gavin6942 · 8/10 · 3 February 2014]

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

As of now (February 2014), this film sits at an impressive #57 on IMDb's list of greatest films of all time. Using that as a jumping off point for this review, we will have to scale it back a bit. Whether the film should be on the list is debatable, but certainly not within the top 100 -- it is neither that good nor among director Martin Scorsese's best work.

Along the same lines, the Oscar nomination for Best Picture is a bit much. While there is no denying it was probably among the ten best films of 2013, with some incredible acting and more than adequate cinematography and editing, the very fact it has no chance of winning makes one question why even nominate the film at all. (Of course, without nine nominees, we would be back to having the reasonable number of five...)

Scorsese received a best director nomination, and this strikes me as more understandable. He managed to assemble an impressive cast and tell a story that is both compelling and entertaining, without trying to put some moral tag on it. Whether or not the viewer thinks this is a glorification or denouncement of the acts depicted is up to them, as the film itself is blank (in the best way).

While on the subject, could the drug use and sexuality have been toned down? Absolutely. And there is a good argument that they should have been (especially the non-stop sex, which comes across as gratuitous and only adds more minutes to this lengthy financial epic). Another argument says the events are extremely unlikely and exaggerated at times. And this is probably also true; but the film is accurate to the memoir, not reality, and this is Belfort telling his story with all the embellishments that come with it. If you want just the facts, read the court transcripts.

Leonardo DiCaprio is nominated for best actor, and this is a choice that is understandable and yet hard to rally behind. He truly becomes Belfort, and probably makes the man out to be even more wild than he was. That deserves a nomination. But this is not DiCaprio's best role (he has also done a fine job portraying Howard Hughes and J. Edgar Hoover) and not one he deserves the win for.

Jonah Hill, on the other hand, was amazing and deserves to win his supporting actor category. Being up again Jared Leto, he probably has no chance, but Hill has come a long way in a few short years from a lovable doofus in "Superbad" to a formidable actor in his own right. At first, "Moneyball" seemed to be an anomaly in Hil's career, but he showed the world he could do even better when he became Donny Azoff in this picture. Incredible.

Whether Terence Winter deserves Best Adapted Screenplay for this film is unclear without having read the book. Such a nomination seems fair, though the win is hard to say without more familiarity. I am surprised no nominations came for cinematography or editing, which are strong in their subtlety. But oh well.

Of the film's five nominations, it may walk away with one win (Winter) or two at most (DiCaprio). More likely it will walk away empty-handed. The film is not flawless (we could go on about how awkward the soundtrack was) and may or may not go on to be memorable for much more than its nudity and pervasive cursing.

Must See! DiCaprio and Scorsese are Brilliant!!!

[mayel714 · 10/10 · 30 December 2013]

By far the Best Movie of the Year, Best Actor, Best Director! The whole supporting cast is excellent as well. This movie will not disappoint it was much better than I expected and the duration of the movie is not felt at all. It definitely did not feel like a 3 hour production. Scorsese put this movie together brilliantly! You are on your toes and engaged throughout from beginning to end. Leonardo DiCaprio is at his best! He will take you through the highs and lows of the movie with an Oscar Winning Performance. I read about Jordan Belfort and it appears that Scorsese and DiCaprio made this movie as accurate as possible which I really appreciate. I commend Scorsese and DiCaprio for keeping this epic picture as authentic as possible. After all this is Hollywood.

Excessive in style, lacking in substance

[ericjams · 6/10 · 25 December 2013]

When the final cut spun in some back room, I wonder what Scorsese thought he had here, a comedy, a thriller, a drama. This movie has a little bit of everything, but the sum of its parts adds up to very little. Very little that we as movie goers have not already seen 100 times before and nothing that I necessarily needed to sit through 168 minutes to see again.

The lack of a conscience, the drive to make money at all costs, these are things we all already associate with Wall Street. So when Leo takes his messed up principles and quickly turns his smooth talking ways into millions of dollars, the audience says to itself, OK, now what? How will the story turn dark, how will the greed and booze catch up to these guys, because it always does, right.

Wrong. The plot here floats at the surface to allow the merry pranksters of Leo and Jonah Hill to basically do whatever it is they want throughout the entire movie. The parties and intoxication are normally something I love, its fun to watch people party and do drugs (at least for me). Here, the excess becomes tiresome, and that would be fine, if the film was intended to show the perils of excess. But that's not the intent, the negative effects of the drugs is touched upon, and as the plot slowly veers toward the end for our wild wall street bunch, the drugs naturally move the plot deeper down the rabbit hole, but its too much after awhile and thus the film becomes a caricature of itself. A comedic display of excess that the viewer may enjoy like an exaggerated drawing, but not something that has any staying power.

Scorsese may have realized this, so the plot meanders through FBI investigations, ship wrecks off the coast of Italy and Swiss Bank fraud. Its the classic example of throwing too much at the window and hoping something sticks. I found the plot to be unnecessarily bloated, I found the story to be largely superficial, and I found the actual direction to not be nearly as good as Scorsese's past films.

Leo and Jonah are fantastic, some of the bit actors are good, but there is no real story here. It's just a party with consequences that do not seem to bother the characters and therefore, never really create any tension in the narrative. Its an enjoyable film at best, a plodding, repetitive, shell of a movie at worst. You be the judge.

"The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullcrap story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't achieve it."

[Bored_Dragon · 7/10 · 30 May 2022]

Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street" is based on the autobiography of Jordan Belfort, who, using loopholes in the law, created a multimillion-dollar brokerage empire out of nothing, lived the 'American dream' and ended up in prison.

"My name is Jordan Belfort. I'm a former member of the middle class raised by two accountants in a tiny apartment in Bayside, Queens. The year I turned 26, as the head of my own brokerage firm, I made $49 million, which really pissed me off because it was three shy of a million a week."

The film was flawlessly shot (nominations for best film and directing) and, although it lasts for three hours, it is not boring for a moment, and for the most part it is even very entertaining. Leonardo DiCaprio excelled in the lead role, but, as usual, remained only on the Oscar nomination. He is supported by Jonah Hill (also an Oscar nominee), Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, and many other not-so-famous, but no less good actors.

If you are looking for a dramatic but humorous portrayal of life on a high but shaky leg, a newly rich man who lives fast in crazy sex, drugs, and more drugs manner, you are in the right place. To gain some idea of the explicitness and decadence in the film, it is interesting to note that DiCaprio once cited the Tinto Brass' "Caligula" (1979) as an inspiration and role model for making this movie.

"Let me tell you something. There's no nobility in poverty. I have been a rich man and I have been a poor man. And I choose rich every time. Because, at least as a rich man, when I have to face my problems, I show up in the back of the limo, wearing a $2000 suit and a $40,000 gold watch."

But, although this story has some indication of social criticism and the potential for a deeper and more serious film, it still remains in the domain of a typical American blockbuster, without much substance and point.

7,5/10.

What the hell did I just watch?

[SteveMierzejewski · 3/10 · 11 January 2014]

If you don't like what you see within the first 15 minutes of this film, turn it off or leave the theater, because that's what you will see repeated over and over again for the next three hours. Okay, I get it. There are people who will do anything for money and who are morally bankrupt. This is Hollywood meets soft porn when soft porn has already been killed off by one-click-accessible porn. I'm not a puritan. This is just an objective fact. We live in the Age of Pornography. I, therefore, don't understand why Scorsese thinks this is the 'shocking' lens he should use to educate us on the evils of Wall Street greed and excess, unless he hopes to drag in the teenage boy audience, in which case, it simply amounts to pandering. In the end, I felt that it was Scorsese himself who was morally bankrupt. I think it is time for him to reassess his career. No great film was ever made so by pandering to base instincts. Great films stand on the strength of fundamental truths about human nature that leave the viewer leaving the theater uplifted, inspired, or awakened to elements of human nature in some way. This does not mean all movies have to have happy endings. The knowledge one takes from a good film can force one to reassess their values or ideas and this can be a difficult experience. But there is nothing fundamentally challenging about this film. Even if you try to think of it as a sort of documentary, it falls flat.

Now, what about the acting? There is no doubt that Leonardo DiCaprio is a great actor. However, I haven't been impressed by many of his recent efforts (i.e. Gatsby). In this film his character is one dimensional from beginning to end. There is no character development and no real opportunities for him to show his acting range. The same can be said for all the other actors, but given such an insipid script, what can you expect? After a couple of hours of watching Scorsese trying to educate us on the evils of wealth, I just wanted the film to end. He seemed to have an ax to grind in the tradition of other ax-grinders like Michael Moore and Oliver Stone. The last hour was simply an ordeal. Scenes seemed randomly cut and pasted together. Although I can't say there were not some interesting scenes within the film, they only served as sad reminders of Scorsese's wasted talent.

It makes no sense at all to me why this film is rated so highly. Maybe there are a number of people who were surprised to learn that excessive wealth can lead to bad behavior. All I learned is to be careful of giving too much credence to the ratings of any Scorsese film.