Somewhat of a thematic retread, but Scorsese fires on all cylinders

Rating: 8/10 (14 November 2014)

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET is insanely hyper-kinetic, wall-to-wall with sex and drug-taking, and the most energetic Scorsese has been since CASINO and GOODFELLAS. While this doesn't quite live up to those previous films, it is nevertheless quite entertaining. The story follows the rise and fall of Jordan Belfort, who ran a brokerage firm, Stratton Oakmont, in the late 80's/early 90's. Along the way, he makes a ton of money and indulges his every whim, which was mostly a lot of drugs. A smaller part of the story is how he was taken down by the FBI, but the main draw is obviously Jordan. In his previous gangster/crime films, Scorsese provided the viewer with a window into how those criminal enterprises operate, and he does the same here with white collar crime. One thing which was extremely effective, yet detracts from the experience a little bit, was how Scorsese used cinematic technique and a frenetic editing style to convey the themes of excess, over-indulgence and greed. It makes logical sense that a film about a person like Jordan Belfort would be this stuffed, even if it does start to wear on the viewer after a while (as it certainly did me). Fortunately, there were some quieter moments, and scenes where a voice of reason could be heard, even if it was ultimately ignored. However, there should be something said about the end result. Unlike previous characters who were reduced to shells of their former selves, Jordan Belfort gets off fairly lightly. Sure, he goes to prison, but it's a cushy prison and he only has to serve a few years. Perhaps this is cynicism on Scorsese's part, and maybe it's emblematic of where our society has gone. Instead of the ultimately good-natured criminal who looks out for the interests of a family-like organization, we have greedy vultures who only look out for themselves, and by and large we let them take advantage of us in ways that are truly despicable. The film makes a point about not showing the victims of Jordan's crimes, but I didn't find this too disheartening. The movie is meant to revolve around Jordan and to give the viewer an experience which approaches what his life was like. Sure, parts of it are extremely funny, but underneath all of the humor lies a rather masochistic current. Excess will ruin you, and by the end of this you should feel disgusted at how people are treated (especially the women) and exhausted from the whirlwind ride you've just been taken on. Even though the film does become repetitive after a while, I wouldn't have wanted to be taken on this journey with anyone but Scorsese. It's not quite a masterpiece, or even top-tier Scorsese, but it's a film worth watching even if only once.