I was reluctant to see The Wolf of Wall Street for obvious reasons. I’m not into drugs, and orgy depictions are not my cup of tea, but somehow The Wolf of Wall Street fell into my Bad Santa exception. If Martin Scorsese had not directed The Wolf of Wall Street, and if the film was not about a real life figure who has financial success, I think that people would enjoy The Wolf of Wall Street unquestioningly as a comedy about misfits up to drug-fueled, womanizing shenanigans. Just stick the characters in a dumpy apartment with problematic roommates, set it in college or their parents’ basements, and people would have called The Wolf of Wall Street the comedy of the year. Because it is an adaptation of an eponymous memoir about the main character, The Wolf of Wall Street’s viewers feel the need to moralize. Fortunately Martin Scorsese did not take the route that Steven Spielberg took in Catch Me With You Can, but embraced the mischievous fan touted in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Like The Aviator and Scorsese’s gangster films, The Wolf of Wall Street depicts Jordan Belfort as he reaches the peak of success until the establishment pulls him back to earth, and the man struggles against gravity. Like The Aviator, Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street is emotionally autobiographical even though it is about a stockbroker. He clearly revels in his character’s humble Queens origins in contrast to his blue blood competitors and nails the exuberance of celebrating success achieved with his fellow friends from the wrong side of Manhattan. His main character may be full of malarkey, but Scorsese believes that grandiose speech about the American dream while simultaneously ridiculing their values and simplistic aphorisms about success. Also after five divorces and being a recovered cocaine addict, Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street is a loving walk down memory lane with a sober bookend.
Scorsese’s skillful filming and editing makes The Wolf of Wall Street work. Scorsese begins The Wolf of Wall Street with what feels like an actual commercial, depicts Belfort’s downfall with an edited commercial that suddenly becomes a serious blooper reel, juxtaposing a crucial plot point with a Benihana commercial and ends with an audience eagerly waiting for Belfort as a motivational speaker for the keys of success. By interspersing the commercial nature of his business with the madcap depiction of Belfort’s life, Scorsese effortlessly makes a period piece-1980s to 1990s NYC-without a linear narrative, which is easier said than done. Each madcap depiction is tonally different and comedic masterpieces particularly the scene with DiCaprio and Hill reacting to “lemons,” which is a remarkable masterpiece considering three hours should feel a tad repetitive. Maybe The Wolf of Wall Street could be shorter, but I could not tell you which scenes should be cut. Scorsese was particularly artful to film some scenes with the camera out of focus or at a distorted angle to reflect Belfort’s twisted perception of the world.
After watching over five hours of Leonardo DiCaprio in The Aviator and J. Edgar, it was nice to have an opportunity to see him act less seriously in The Wolf of Wall Street. Unlike Depp, DiCaprio never goes too big and cartoonesque. DiCaprio knows when to be the straight man and naturally becomes more bombastic as The Wolf of Wall Street progresses. DiCaprio’s performance is so organic and perfect that I wondered how much of it was acting and how much of it is because he is a member of the Pussy Posse. Never forget, people! DiCaprio is masterful at sharing the spotlight with his fellow actors.
The casting is brilliant. DiCaprio is surrounded by comic greats: Jonah Hill, Rob Reiner, Jean Dujardin, Joanna Lumley, Jon Favreau, Ethan Suplee. The Wolf of Wall Street’s pairing of DiCaprio and Hill makes Seth Rogan and James Franco seem uninspired. Matthew McConaughey must have filmed The Wolf of Wall Street soon after Dallas Buyers Club because he was painfully skeletal while crucially setting the tone for the film. Margot Robbie is more than a pretty face. She emotionally nailed every scene while maintaining sexiness and attitude. She felt more like a real person than a stereotype. Jon Berthal of The Walking Dead deserves kudos for a brief appearance as a drug dealer and money smuggler.
You should not see The Wolf of Wall Street if you cannot stand profanity, nudity, explicit depictions of drug use and sex and varying forms of animal and human exploitation. You should see The Wolf of Wall Street if you like Martin Scorsese embracing his Judd Apatow side.