Thrills, excites, inspires & entertains without boundaries.

Rating: 10/10 (22 January 2014)

The Wolf of Wall Street is one heck of a jaunt. It out Wall Street's Wall Street, it thrills, excites, inspires and entertains without boundaries, and for three hours I was completely immersed in a world that, for the most part, I wanted to be my own.
Inspired by the true events of Jordan Belfort's escapades on Wall Street and beyond, The Wolf of Wall Street is a rip-roaring helter-skelter ride of dubious morality and no-holds barred excess of sex and drugs, with money trouncing rock 'n' roll. Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young stockbroker who is a casualty of Black Monday. Undaunted by the unemployment mountain and buoyed by his own brand of confidence, Jordan secures a job brokering penny shares, makes a bundle, inadvertently lands an employee, Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill), launches his own company, Stratford-Oakmont, reinterprets the law and embarks on an audacious journey of wealth and debauchery while the FBI gnashes its teeth.
Know this from the outset: The Wolf of Wall Street is not a film for those with tender minds and fragile ears. Though obvious comparisons will be made with Wall Street, its tone is more in line with Filth, and Jordan Belfort makes Gordon Gekko look like a timid convent girl.
While its 180-minute running time may put off some viewers short of attention and weak of bladder, Scorsese has not included a second that does not need to be upon the screen. We barely have time to think, let alone blink. An undisputed (by anyone with even a single brain cell) master of his craft, The Wolf of Wall Street is his ballsiest offering since Gangs of New York and emphasises the sheer breadth of his versatility. Yes, there's a moral in there somewhere, but that's not the point. This is an absolute joy to behold and the most outright fun I've had at the cinema since James McAvoy got down and really dirty.
The Wolf of Wall Street is written, shot and edited so sharply that it manages to simultaneous flow smoothly and jar us sufficiently to keep our eyes wide and our backs rigidly to attention. One's pulse increases and laughter bubbles under the surface, sometimes erupting, though this is not a comedy, and the soundtrack is welded so solidly to each scene that it is not merely complimentary but integral.
DiCaprio has been a major Hollywood star for a long time. Titanic made him a heartthrob (to some) and he has convinced and engrossed frequently. Occasionally his performances have made us stop and reevaluate his rank amongst the Hollywood elite, most notably What's Eating Gilbert Grape and Catch Me if You Can. His performance as Jordan is cause to reassess once again. He doesn't just present Jordan as a man arrogantly living on the edge, he makes sure we know he thrives on it, loves every second of it. But even for a man as brash and self-assured as Jordan, we see the scruples, understand the hint of doubt.
Margot Robbie looks certain to permanently shake off the shadow of 311 episodes of Neighbours as Naomi, the second prominent woman in Belfort's life, with an assured performance that is sexy, gutsy and cruel. Likewise Rob Reiner has a ball and entertains thoroughly as the explosive Max, father of the hero, conscience of the company. But it is Jonah Hill who surprises most. Until Moneyball he was just another funny bloke in films. With The Wolf of Wall Street he is the actor who is very funny occasionally but, more importantly, is a fine actor who doesn't look remotely out of place in the limelight of a significant, box office smash. The reinvention of Jonah Hill is well underway.
Forget the moody, brooding Scorsese of Taxi Driver & Raging Bull, this is Scorsese letting it all hang out and ramping up the energy and impact for maximum effect. The Wolf of Wall Street is the fourth five-star film of 2014 (alas, I fear we're in for a slump once the award contenders pass) but easily the most fun of them. Take a trip to the cinema and live a life of debauchery and excess secondhand tonight!
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