Pass the Popcorn review

Rating: 8/10 (27 December 2013)

The Wolf of Wall Street is one of the most anticipated movies of the year, mainly because it features the famous director-actor duo of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, who have previously worked on many good movies, like Shutter Island and The Departed. This movie is based on Jordan Belfort's biographical book of the same name, and Belfort himself helped DiCaprio prepare for the main role. It's important to point out that, because it was independently financed, the movie features lots of nudity, drug abuse and over-the-top sex scenes, which might make the viewing uncomfortable for some.
Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) starts his career at Wall Street but is soon fired because of the stock market crash in 1987 (known as Black Monday). He manages to get a job in an investment center and, being the most successful broker, he teaches his colleagues how to sell. Soon, realising his potential and finding a partner – Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill) – he opens a brokerage firm, Stratton Oakmont, where he and his colleagues start selling penny stocks and frauding people – all the while making more money than they ever imagined, and spending it on drugs and prostitutes.
DiCaprio plays the perfect antihero: Belfort is a liar, he cheats on his wife, he steals money from people, he is constantly drugged out of his mind and so on. Still, it's very difficult to hate him, and I think most people actually envy him: who wouldn't want to have so much money, you can throw $100 bills in the trash without blinking? DiCaprio's performance is wonderful, and I hope he'll finally win the Oscar he deserves. The supporting actors find themselves somewhat in his shadow, but do a terrific work nonetheless – especially Jonah Hill, whose experience in comedies fits the dark humour of the movie perfectly. And because this movie is filled with humour, I had no problem with its length: you don't even realise it's 3 hours long because it's so entertaining.
Like I said, the movie features lots of drug abuse and sex scenes, which some people may consider pointless or whatever, but I feel it doesn't make any sense (and is also hypocritical) to consider it bad just because of this – which is an attitude many people on the internet seem to have. Also, this movie does not promote immoral behaviour. It's like saying slasher movies promote killing: it's a ridiculous and ignorant way of bashing a movie when you have no solid arguments. Finally, if you go see this movie, you're going to get sex, drugs, violence and lots of swearing, all of it wonderfully incorporated in a great biography. The Wolf of Wall Street is not for everyone, but it's a great movie I recommend to everyone who isn't easily scandalised.
Rating: 8/10 Read more reviews at http://passpopcorn.com/