Greasy good.

Rating: 9/10 (16 March 2016)

If you're looking for classic Scorcese, this is your movie. As many have noticed, it paints the many wolves of Wall Street for exactly what they are... scumbags and thieves in 3- piece suits. The first thing I noticed was Scorcese's homage to one of his own films, the titular "Goodfellas," where the protagonist (DiCaprio) gives a personal voice-over tour of the shenanigans of his entire crew, which by extension, numbers in the hundreds, the sleazy underbelly of the young turks who, by their singular obsession for wealth at any cost, seem to clearly be having the time of their lives. As you will quickly see, the over the top glitz, combined with unfettered hedonism, goes along with business in the most delightfully debauched ways, making the gamut from hardcore drug and alcohol addiction, to more sex than you'll see in the average whorehouse. But as always, Scorcese manages the delicate balancing act between hardcore violence and overt law breaking with the chemically-fueled ecstasy of a life steeped in greed unburdened by guilt. And that is perhaps the closest he comes in the entire film to offering some sort of deliverance from the orgy of excess that this movie depicts so graphically — that there is always a bill to be paid for this kind of lifestyle that can be as extreme as the perks. But what is most troubling is just how many people out there seem ready, willing, and able to pick up the tab for this kind of thinly-veiled crime. Along with the superb supporting cast, this is DiCaprio's film, a delirious tour de force that will leave you gasping.