A tale of rags to riches and ending up somewhere in between.

Rating: 7/10 (18 February 2014)

The Wolf of Wall Street tells the story of Jordan Belfort: a man who built an empire just to watch it crumble. The movie was directed by the critically acclaimed Martin Scorsese and Jordan Belfort is played by Leonardo DiCaprio. The Wolf of Wall Street is a memorable movie because of the authentic acting and the roller-coaster of a plot, but has some problems.
The cast is led by DiCaprio who shines as a power hungry, arrogant, and impulsive Belfort. DiCaprio sets the tone very early in the movie when he nonchalantly explains his staggering daily drug use with a smirk on his face. He also gives captivating line delivery while addressing his trade floor; some would call it over the top but I feel it is appropriate for the scenes. DiCaprio also handles physical humor in a way no one has seen from him before: whether rolling down a staircase in a drug-addled state or petting Donnie (Jonah Hill) to calm him down from his high. Hill also has a memorable role showing us his physicality. He displays this "lackey" behavior by shying away from Belfort and other powerful figures in the movie, while "walking taller" when around people below him. Mathew McConaughey even gives a short but memorable role as Belfort's mentor (both in business and debauchery) Mark Hanna. I think "fugasi" has become a permanent part of my vocabulary because of McConaughey's delivery. No major role comes across as wooden or hyperbolic. Overall the acting helps move the plot along and keep the viewer interested.
Although the cast helps the plot, not much help is needed. From the very first scene we see how indulgently and carefree Belfort and his associates live. After introducing us to the lifestyle of Belfort, we are taken back in time to when he was struggling to be taken seriously or even pay his rent. Just as the viewer starts to feel bad for Belfort, he figures out his con game, strikes it rich, and dumps his loyal wife for the first piece of eye candy he finds. From here on out, there is continually escalation of both partying and scamming people out of their money. Finally the conflict is introduced in the way of a FBI agent named Patrick Denham (Rob Reiner). He and Belfort play an enthralling game of cat-and-mouse that involves Swiss bank accounts, attempted bribery, and sunken yachts. By the end of the movie the viewer has seen many highs and lows that are held together well and overall make sense.
Even with the superb acting and exciting plot, there are some noticeable problems with The Wolf of Wall Street. Scorsese spent too much time detailing the adventures of Belfort and his associates in the way of parties, strippers, drugs, and sales pitches. While these activities were obviously important to the characters, they did little to help develop the characters. We never see any remorse or reflection from any characters until the very end, and this only comes from Jordan Belfort. Another problem is that we never see the victims, as in the people buying the worthless stocks. The victims could've added another layer that this movie is lacking.
Even with these flaws I believe The Wolf of Wall Street is worth watching. There is a reason Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio had a bidding war over this script. The movie is entertaining from start to finish, and depending on your point of view it can either be inspirational story or a cautionary tale.