Good Guys of Wall Street

Rating: 10/10 (19 January 2014)

The Wolf of Wall Street tells the story of Jordan Belfort's life in stocks. It depicts a world of rich people who are daily flooded with money but do not know what else to spend on other than their excess. That is just one side of the story, but that is what the audience is wholeheartedly focused on. It's not exactly only about a man who had done wrong choices then eventually learn by his mistakes in the end. It's more of a raucous portrait about rich people being petty, having way too much fun on their lust, never realized that they actually look terrible by it until they eventually become the worst of themselves. The overall film is enormously entertaining. It may bring relentless filth on screen, but the awareness comes right when things really get out of hand.
There is nothing more important in their world other than money, sex and drugs. It is ought to be satirical, but one may think that it is taken too far, only when they take the comedy too seriously. The real plot here is Belfort's actual crimes in Wall Street. The film doesn't make those acts look much of a big deal. His victims are never shown because apparently the viewers should be rooting for him. It's almost just a series of outrageous parties, and schemes that will keep their fortune and pleasures going. Despite of their behavior, we are still obligated to care about these "good guys."
The film somewhat comes close to Martin Scorsese's other film, Goodfellas. Aside of the throughout narration, the story has some similarities: a man who love affairs with a job that betrays both of his marriage and any moral standards, however the guy lacks the sympathy which defines the character's humanity. The main character's human figure here is all the negative sides. Compare him to the other goodfella, his motivations and striving are much petty, because of course, he has it all.
Martin Scorsese makes it feels like a comedy which is kind of appropriate. It's swift and energetic, which thoroughly provides endless entertainment. Leonardo DiCaprio is simply terrific, from unhinged crawling to spilling charisma, he has made Belfort an effectively awful yet magnetic cinematic character you'll encounter in recent memory. His co-star Jonah Hill shares the same feat as his twice the arrogant, profane and half-witted pair. Also notable strong performance from Rob Reiner and Kyle Chandler. And for only few scenes, Matthew McConaughey steals all the ones that he is in.
Everyone might think the ending is as much as inconsequential than it suggests; the point can probably be the ugly price of the person gets in the end is within himself, a perfect life won't fix a broken man, or misusing cash and power will always cause a lot of trouble. There is many suggestions about its themes. But in the end, Jordan Belfort is just a another man in the community who is blinded by the typical extreme lust and fortune, and for sure anyone would get the same condition if they ever get to taste its pleasures. In spite of treating everything as a joke, the film suddenly becomes compelling. That's the kind of trick it has. Anything else, The Wolf of Wall Street is just insanely fun. Even for its lengthy runtime, it's able to be very enjoyable every minute of it.