Shouldn't love this film... but I do

Rating: 9/10 (11 February 2014)

I am a Scorsese fan... from pretty much seeing The Color of Money, up-to Wolf of Wall Street, the man has made some great flicks. His older stuff I cam across as I began embracing all things Scorsese and I just find his work memorable.
Wolf of Wall Street is not the best Scorsese film made, but for some reason it resonates more for me than his previous work. Yes he has some gems... Goodfellas, Casino, Cape Fear, Mean Streets, The Departed, but only 2 of his films stick with me on a daily basis, GoodFellas and Wolf.
When it comes to sitting down to watch a Scorsese flick I know I will get great story telling and some entertaining moments from a cast hand picked by the man himself because he knows they will work great in the role.
While Leo and Scorsese have worked together 5 times now, I found this instance to have been their best work together. Sure The Departed is a good film, but Leo really did a fantastic job with this picture.
The excess on display in TWOWS is pretty much gratuitous at every level imaginable. I don't think I have seen a film celebrate excess quite like TWOWS,and while I should frown upon the exploits of Befort and Stratton Oakmont, and morally I do, I can also imagine what it was like for the real players. It looked like a great time, and they way Scorsese captures it made me enjoy it from the viewers perspective.
Money is the most powerful drug in the world. I don't care who you are... we all need it, we use it and yet it is harder to get than the illegal street kind. So when a movie celebrates money as a drug, it changes the dynamic. Only 2 films have captured this... Wall Street and TWOWS. Both have done it perfectly, but only one can come out as king.
Take a talented cast, a world class director, an over the top script about 80's Wall Street excess and you have a film that not only entertains, but just leaves your jaw on the floor because you would never believe they really pulled this kind of stuff. (Not the scam, everything else) 9 out of 10