The Academy will be 'crying Wolf'!

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2014)

If I could sum up 'The Wolf of Wall Street' I would say it's a film that you definitely wouldn't want to watch with your parents. Why you may ask? I'll tell you, Scorsese and DiCaprio's fifth outing together is an unparallelled roller-coaster ride of twists and turns, highs and lows fuelled by drugs, alcohol, gambling, hedonism and million dollar business deals. To cut a long story short it might it's incredible! ... but might be a little awkward to watch with your folks around.
Without sounding like I'm jumping on the bandwagon I honestly feel this could be the year that Leonardo DiCaprio breaks his infamous 'Oscar curse'. He is in sensational form as Jordan Belfort, the eponymous 'Wolf'. We first meet Jordan as an innocent 22 year old, a fish out of water in the overwhelming world of the New York stock market, trying to make a name for himself. Over the course of the early 1990s we retrace the Wolf's steps as he transforms from a humble family man to a ruthless, domineering drug addict raking in $49m a year and gallivanting with legions of gorgeous women. However, the fabric of Belfort's success soon begins to unravel as he is pursued by the authorities, becomes consumed by addiction and greed, and is alienated by those closest to him. The way the character self-destructs is captured brilliantly by DiCaprio, he appeals to our empathetic side playing a broken man who couldn't quit while he was ahead. DiCaprio brings raw energy to a role that demands it. He exudes charisma and seamlessly slips into Belfort's 'Wolf' persona conveying his dizzying highs and tormenting lows through his god-given acting talent. If he is overlooked by the Academy this year, cries of 'fix' and 'conspiracy' could very well ring throughout the auditorium.
DiCaprio's job is certainly made a hell of lot easier by the truly delicious cast Scorsese has assembled around him. Also tipped for Oscar success (Best Supporting Actor) is Jonah Hill, playing Belfort's neurotic business partner Donnie Azoff. It was recently revealed that Hill took the SAG's minimum pay of $60,000 for this role, simply because he was desperate to work with Scorsese, one of his heroes. This enthusiasm is immediately apparent as he takes to the role like a duck to water. Hill is now quickly establishing himself as hot property on the Hollywood scene, and distancing himself from his 'gross-out' comedy roots. His chemistry with DiCaprio is effortless and unforced, creating a warm, humorous and believable relationship upon which the movie fundamentally survives.
Also doing well, although a little underused I felt, is the silver screen's 'Renaissance Man' Matthew McConaughey as broker Mark Hanna who first shows Jordan the ropes. The 'chest-beating' scene is definitely one for the ages! Similarly impressive are Rob Reiner as Jordan's hot- tempered father, Joanna Lumley as Emma his demure and seductive aunt, and P.J. Byrne as 'Rugrat' one of his 'merry men' in the office ensuring the money, among incalculable line of cocaine, keeps piling up.
The performance I really enjoyed however was Margot Robbie as Naomi, Belfort's second wife. Robbie's contribution to the movie is brilliant, and that's not just me speaking as a warm-blooded male. The young Australian beauty conveys incredible emotion and vulnerability as she is tossed back and forth between both ends of Belfort's precarious spectrum. The sheer euphoria of their wedding in the Caribbean and the million dollar yachts, and the plight and terror of being dominated by an increasingly overbearing, drug-dependent, almost bipolar husband. At the tender age of 23 the future certainly looks bright for Robbie. She is already being touted to star as Jane in David Yates' upcoming 'Tarzan', and with performances like this no one will dare question any such casting decisions.
The editing and cinematography, although unorthodox, are also fantastic juxtaposing a sober and intoxicated Belfort beautifully. Scorsese essentially knocks another one out of the ball park, which is no less than anyone expected, and if he can continue to churn out movies of such high calibre in the future he will only further cement his position as one of cinema's greatest ever directors.
The only criticism I would perhaps make, and I really am being picky here, is the running time. At 3 hours Scorsese's movie incurs, a probably unavoidable mid-movie slump. We see 'The Wolf' make his rise but before the fall begins, I'll admit there was a slight lapse in my concentration. The movie seemed to drop off a little bit before it picked up its exhilarating, high octane drama again. But I'll admit I am just looking for a needle in a hay stack here, a small blip on an otherwise fabulous movie, that MUST bring home some gold at this year's Oscars!