Exhausing, But Engaging - Despite A Repugnant Protagonist

Rating: 6/10 (15 March 2015)

'The Wolf of Wall Street' is a mixed bag. A black comedy about greed and morality, it shows a rare lightness of touch in the great director when dealing with humour, largely absent in his dramatic work.
The pacing and central performance from Leonardo DiCaprio are superb...for the first two hours. After that, though the performances are great - DiCaprio demonstrating a surprising flair for slapstick - the whole thing seems to slip down a gear. Or Two. Odd, as dramatically this final third - yes, it's THAT long, should be the most frenetic. Largely a film likely to be remembered chiefly for the acting rather than the director's distinctive vision.