I'm good with water for now......

Rating: 9/10 (19 January 2014)

In the 90s, Jordan Belfort started brokerage firm Stratford-Oakmont. His company quickly grew from a staff of 20 to more than 250, and their status in the trading community and Wall Street grows and grows.
As their status grows, so does the amount of substances they abuse, and so do their lies. They draw attention, throwing huge parties for their staff when they hit the jackpot on high trades.
With the FBI onto Belfort's schemes, he devises new ways to cover his tracks and make his fortune grow. He comes up with a scheme to stash their cash in Europe. With the FBI watching him, how long will He be able to maintain his luxurious lifestyle......
At three hours, the film is long. Scorcese could have trimmed some of the debauchery and made it into a 150 minute masterpiece. But while it's too long, it's never boring, and its one of the most likable films about someone you really would never associate with ever made.
Dicaprio puts in his best performance as Belfort, and makes him as sleazy and as hate worthy as you would expect. His every act selfish, and very grandiose. Scorcese uses the camera to wonderful effect, using different medium whenever the cast are under the influence.
The narrative structure is fundamentally the same as Goodfellas, and Dicaprios narrative keeps the flow of the story fast paced, again despite the lengthy duration. Its hilarious in spades and Hill is wonderful too, you really hate his character by the end of the film, he's that good.
My only other gripe is the way the women in this are depicted. They are either objects of desire, woefully mistreated, or they have their head shaved.
Scorcese has made another brilliant film about excess, and featuring a highly unlikable character, but for some reason, you are compelled to his character.