One Hell of a Movie

Rating: 9/10 (30 December 2013)

This is a highly entertaining movie even if the partying occasionally drags down the action (no matter how wild, a party is a party right?). But Leonardo DiCaprio is riveting as a fast talking, talented, loud mouthed stock broker wannabe who rises (and parties) hard and fast. But what makes the movie sing is that EVERYBODY in it delivers. Scorcese brings together great cinematic talent. He's obviously untethered by big production houses (he is driving the script and you feel that) and the result is one of the most riotous, fast paced and entertaining comédies noires to come along in ages.
But some viewers may find the movie is too long, Scorcese's longest ever, clocking in at exactly 3 hours, I didn't feel the length because the acting is really first rate and the characters do develop even if they don't exactly learn from their mistakes.
The other criticism is that it's shallow, like a big party. I can see where that's coming from but my impression watching was not so much shallow as comedy noire. Scorcese does make you feel like you're in the party (there's a few slo mo scenes that just pull you in) But the story is genuinely hilarious and tragic at turns even if the person telling it is a shallow creep with monstruously shallow, selfish, party loving friends
And I personally really appreciated Scorcese's feather light moral touch. In the end, the spectator has to decide what to think of the anti-hero his band of vapid merry swindlers, or maybe not. You can also just enjoy the ride.