Smart, Adept and Uproarious

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2014)

Wall Street happens to be one of the financial districts in New York. It houses one of the largest stock exchanges called the New York Stock exchange along with other financial headquarters. You love the environment in there; it is pretty assumed that you go on a money minting spree. Martin Scorsese's 'The Wolf of the Wall Street' simply puts the emphasis on the Wall Street atmosphere, portraying the real life character of Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio); who was convicted of fraudulent crimes for exploiting the stock market.
Craftily scripted by Terence Winter, based on the book called 'Jordan Belfort', Scorsese evinces the character of Jordan Belfort as an orgy youngster having an unstinted appetite for money (earned legally or illegally doesn't matter) and heavily addicted to cocaine, alcohol and sex. On losing his job owing to stock market crash in 1987, Belfort trains a group of good-for-nothing folks to sell some of the useless commodities to some rich high-profile traders. Establishing a new firm called 'Stratton Oakmont', Jordan Belfort creates a befitting milieu to flourish what it is right to be termed as a 'moneymaking business'.
Going along too well with the wind of incoming wealth, Belfort divorces his wife Teresa only to marry Naomi; the only girl who can satisfy Belfort's ever growing lust. Scorsese does focus on sizzling intimate moments between the couple. A life rife with drugs, booze, magnificent bungalows, sleek sport cars and libidinous prostitutes slowly comes to a halt when the FBI steps in with their investigation. As showcased in most of the Scorsese films, the entire hurly burly in the major part of the movie is interrupted with planning & effort by the police.
Unlike films like 'Taxi driver', 'Casino' & 'Goodfellas', 'The Wolf of the Wall Street' is devoid of the ultimate theme of redemption. In spite of that, the film lends us rolling-on-the floor-laughing moments coupled with sheer display of acting to the point of caricature by Leonardo DiCaprio. The formula of opulence coupled with laughter & poignancy has worked quite well on the celluloid. Matthew McConaughey has a remarkable role as Mark Hanna; the guy who titillates the spark of minting fast money which has ignited in Belfort's mind.
Even though having sizeable movie length, it never seems to dull the audience and keeps them in an uplifted mood throughout. The Wolf of the Wall Street is smart, adept and uproarious. A shrewd script blended with high brilliance; Martin Scorsese makes it laudable and discernible among others.