The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) User Reviews (1,875)

"Money is the oxygen of capitalism and I wanna breathe more than any other human being alive."

[notoriousCASK · 9/10 · 24 October 2018]

It's no surprise that Scorsese is associated with the gangster genre with films such as The Departed, Goodfellas and Casino, of which the last two are possibly the best pure examples of the genre. In Goodfellas the gangsters are dangerous but they operate on a more underground level, in Casino they practically run a major city and can do whatever they like. The gangsters were and will always be a part in America's system. Now, the gangsters are not just accepted by the system, but are considered to be an integral part of it. In the first two films, the gangster is threatening and dangerous, but avoidable. In The Wolf of Wall Street, he's calling to hustle you at home and you don't even know it. Some people view The Wolf of Wall Street as a glorification of Jordan Belfort's lifestyle and want to be like him, as Scorsese portrays this life by its nature, enticing. That's the way it works, and it's impossible to portray it accurately without showing how a charismatic man like Belfort can suck an unsuspecting person into a world of money and fame. The film though, shows us just how empty and destructive that life can be.

There is an undeniable similarity between the instantaneous joy, energy and euphoria that we have while watching The Wolf of Wall Street and how Jordan Belfort lives his life, this is a movie where the director skillfully mixes form and content to create an experience which is as hyper and as instantly ecstatic as the life of its flashy and opportunistic characters.

The direction by Martin Scorsese which still has infectious energy and power is impeccable, there is no other director who has mastered pacing like he has. This is a three-hour movie that moves lightning fast and always manages to keep the audience invested in the story throughout the whole duration. Each scene is packed with so much visual information, and it is fast paced and quickly edited, which complements the general tone of the film. The cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto is gorgeous as well and displays an optimal color palette throughout the whole film. Each shot also looks precise, even during some of the more chaotic scenes.

The script is fantastic, filled with many great and memorable lines of dialogue. Every character has a well-defined arc and motives, and the story is given proper breathing room to blossom. The performances are also exquisite, especially Leonardo DiCaprio who gives one of the best performances of his career and portrays the opportunistic nature of Jordan Belfort's character with great commitment as you can see a lustful, hedonistic and impulsive sex & drug-addict man who only wants to have more fun. Supporting him with equal passion is Jonah Hill as Donnie Azoff, Belfort's sidekick, and even he manages to make a mark of his own. Margot Robbie plays Naomi, Belfort's second wife and she does an alluring job in her given role. Matthew McConaughey is in for a very short duration as Mark Hanna, Belfort's mentor, but even in that little time, he is the show-stealer and he dominates the screen unlike anyone else.

Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter set out to create a film about the Wall Street excess, and by definition, it contains an excessive amount of everything, such as cursing, sex, nudity, drugs, alcohol and partying. But the film is not really about those things. The story of The Wolf of Wall Street boils down to money, that "most-addictive drug" Belfort speaks of, and not just what it can buy, but what it can do to people. Not just how it changes one's lifestyle but the effects it has on one's morals, beliefs, and values, and how it can effectively change not just how a person thinks and feels but how they operate at their core.

With a collection of truly incredible films, The Wolf of Wall Street stands out as one of Scorsese's best films, my personal favorite and by far his most humorous film to date. He truly went all out and it paid off in a hilarious satire on the reverence of money, drugs, women, and the admiration of a criminal money-maker. The Wolf of Wall Street is maddening cinema that's already high on coke but still continues to snort more white powder every 5 minutes for 3 hours. This is a fascinating vignette of excess, greed, abuse and decay and it's one of the best movies of the decade and surely one of the most entertaining movies ever made.

My favorite movie of the 2010's

[peach007 · 9/10 · 15 October 2021]

What can I say. This is such a great movie. I remember seeing this for the first time, not really knowing what it was about. Straight from the first scene, it immediately put a smile on my face, which lasted about for the rest of the entire movie. Great entertainment, I love over the top movies like this. I haven't seen something this good since Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I have seen it about 4 times again since it came out and I just keep loving it. The only downside was maybe the scene with the ludes and the Lamborghini. Even though it was great, maybe it was a bit too much over the top :)

It really is a comedy

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 18 June 2014]

There is a reason this is called Wolf of Wall Street and not Lion of Wall Street. This is not supposed to be a story about some good guy or misunderstood guy doing things that are a little off. And therefor it was important to make this a comedy. When I watched it, I didn't think it would qualify as comedy. Thought of it more of a drama with some comedic moments thrown in.

The way it starts should indicate if this is something you want to watch. Never forget, as someone else also stated, this is supposed to be entertainment and does not take itself seriously. If you are not on that level with the movie, you will call it names. And that is OK, because obviously the movie is out there and it will not be everyones taste. That's why you have to decide early on, if you actually want to watch it or not.

If you don't feel like it, don't watch it. Save yourself some time and watch something else that interests you instead. If it hits a nerve with you though, you will revel in it. Especially in the performance Leonardo Di Caprio is giving. There is a scene involving him driving "carefully", that has to be seen to be believed ...

Oscar worthy

[karolin-99263 · 10/10 · 29 December 2020]

The movie Leonardo DiCaprio should have gotten an Oscar for. His portrayal of the character is perfect. The movie is well-written, leaving no details out of the original story. Martin Scorsese never fails to impress. One of the only example where the movie is better than the book. The movie never gets boring, I could watch this anytime.

Decadent, shocking, brilliant.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 29 November 2023]

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

Martin Scorsese isn't just a film maker, he's a genius, he's The Master of film, and this is another of his jewels. The Wolf of Wall Street is one of my all time favourites.

The remarkable story of Jordan Belfort, is love to know how much of this is actually true. There are multiple shocking scenes, my jaw dropped multiple times, one thing is clear, money talks.

It's shocking, but it's also hilarious, there are so many funny moments, that scene with the dog at the end of the bed, too funny.

Production values are off the charts, this film truly looks tremendous, it feels as though no one frame is wasted, no opportunity is missed to show off the wealth, the orgy of sex, drugs and money.

Another stellar performance from Leonardo DiCaprio, he is outstanding as Belfort, one of his very best, not only does he look the part, but he exudes the character's greed's and desires.

Robbie and Hill are first rate. It gets an extra point for featuring Joanna Lumley, albeit in a small role.

A fascinating story.

10/10.

DiCaprio gives the best performance of his career.

[BrentHankins · 9/10 · 24 December 2013]

In the mid-1990s, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) and the rest of his associates from brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont became the very definition of excess and debauchery, their offices a boiler room fueled by cocaine and greed. High pressure sales tactic and less-than-legal behind-the-scenes manipulation bred plenty of twenty-something millionaires, and Belfort built himself an empire at the top of the heap. His rise and fall is chronicled in The Wolf of Wall Street, based on the memoir of the same name.

Under most circumstances, the actions of Belfort and his cronies (including Jonah Hill in a howlingly funny turn as Belfort's business partner) would be viewed as disgustingly abhorrent, but Martin Scorsese frames this tale of greed with a comedic lens that allows us to laugh at things we probably shouldn't find humorous. Whether it's a clumsy attempt at fisticuffs between two characters overdosing on Quaaludes, or the categorization of prostitutes using stock market terminology ("blue chip" hookers make you wear a condom and typically accept credit cards), the film is outrageous from start to finish, and rarely falters in its quest to entertain the audience for three hours.

Belfort manages to delude himself and his pals into thinking they can live like this forever, but the audience knows better, and Belfort's eventual comeuppance is hardly surprising. But the path is paved with hilarity, especially in a scene aboard the mogul's luxury yacht, where he surreptitiously offers a pair of FBI agents everything from booze to girls to cold hard cash in exchange for their silence. And let's not forget his punishment for drunkenly piloting a helicopter into the backyard of his estate at 3am, raising the ire of his trophy wife (Margot Robbie).

Scorsese has always managed to elicit astounding performances from his actors, and his fifth collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio results in one of the most charismatic, despicable, offensive and captivating characters to ever appear on screen. As financial bad boy Belfort, DiCaprio swaggers from scene to scene ingesting eye-popping amounts of narcotics, groping and fondling nearly every female within reach, and spouting more profanity in three hours than an entire season of The Sopranos. Belfort is the kind of person that any sane person would detest in real life, but thanks to Scorses and DiCaprio, we can't take our eyes off him.

-- Brent Hankins, www.nerdrep.com

SELL ME THIS PEN

[nogodnomasters · 9/10 · 4 October 2018]

Golden Globe winner Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the title role of Jordan Belfort. Belfort works his way up the ladder making money in penny stocks, i.e. "selling garbage to garbage men." His scheme is to sell these garbage stocks to rich investors due to the high commissions. Along the way he does some illegal transactions as he runs his corporation like a frat party in "Animal House." Having not known money, he and his crew are ill equipped to handle it.

I thought that Jonah Hill gave one of his best performances. The production is awfully long, not wanting to miss out on any details. The film goes into detail to explain to the audience things like IPO and the history and effects of quaaludes. If you note the ludes he took early in the film were crumbly. Those were non-prescription ludes made from a pill press in uncle Vinnie's garage and not too potent. Later they score some real ludes. Having taken the fake ones for so long, they didn't know how to handle them causing them to crash, like the money it was too much too fast.

The main criticism of the film is that it featured over 500 F-bombs. It really didn't seem like that many due to the length of the production. Besides you get numb to it after the first few hundred or so.

Awesome movie, watched it multiple times

[0U · 23 February 2020]

This film is every definition of the word "impeccable." Scorcese's fantastic storytelling ability mixed with phenomenal acting from DiCaprio, Hill and the rest of the cast makes for an awesome combination. The film is never boring and gives you a glimpse into the life of a man who had everything in the world only to have it taken away.

Leo's best performance of all time!!

[abdulazizalsaad-73053 · 10/10 · 12 April 2021]

Di caprio was robbed in the oscars whether you like it or not, the only reason why people give this movie a low rating is because of the over nudity, and it's the same reason why leo didn't get the oscar in my opinion, which is what I don't understand!!!, it's an r rated movie, so obviously there will be nudity, it's not a kid's movie!!!! , it's easily leo's best performance and scorcese's second best movie after goodfellas.

Stylish, funny and very entertaining

[aaron1506 · 8/10 · 30 March 2020]

The Wolf of Wall Street is Scorsese's best film since Goodfellas. It's stylish, funny and very entertaining.

Goodfellas and The Wolf of Wall Street actually have a lot in common. For one, they share the same narrative arc: one film is about the rise and fall of Henry Hill, the other, Jordan Belfort. They also have a lot in common stylistically, such as tracking shots, freeze frames, narration and breaking of the fourth wall. Goodfellas is ultimately the better film, though - it has more depth and feels more grounded in reality.

Leonardo DiCaprio gives a brilliant performance, one of the best of his career. His portrayal of Belfort is larger-than-life, captivating, even terrifying at times. Consider, for example, the scene towards the end of the film in which Jordan punches Naomi and attempts to drive off with their daughter. It's one of the film's most powerful moments. The supporting cast is also strong, most notably Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie, who both have great chemistry with DiCaprio. Matthew McConaughey only has a brief part, but it's certainly a memorable one at that.

There are so many scenes in The Wolf of Wall Street that could be singled out for praise. Belfort taking 15-year-old Quaaludes and entering the "cerebral palsy" phase is hilarious. Then there's Belfort's first time selling penny stocks. Belfort's attempt to bribe an FBI agent. The list goes on.

The soundtrack is great. The use of "Mrs Robinson" by The Lemonheads during the FBI raid on Stratton Oakmont is a particularly inspired choice.

Critics of The Wolf of Wall Street have accused it of glorifying Belfort, but such an accusation fails to appreciate that the film is satirical. The film's final scene is crucial to understanding its message. Belfort goes unpunished for his crimes. He continues to be idolised. His audience hangs onto his every word. Scorsese observes that this materialistic, get-rich-quick culture is precisely what gives rise to someone like Belfort.

Flashy, but shallow

[evan_harvey · 6/10 · 22 January 2014]

The Wolf of Wall Street is not a bad flick, but suffers from an over-abundance of narration. Some will like that, some won't. Di Caprio is very good, as are his supporting cast. The direction is good, the script is snappy, and the audience is blind.

The excess of narration generally doesn't work for me. Some on this site claim it should get an Oscar (and maybe it will in some category), but it's not good enough for Best Picture or Best Director.

Jordan Belfort stole millions, ruined lives, and despite this, Scorsese prefers to celebrate him. It's one thing to praise a fictional character's bad deeds, but given the devastating recent global financial crises (which was itself just another con), I'm surprised that audiences are lapping this up. Actually, maybe I'm not so surprised, since the cult of money counts even average audiences amongst it's believers.

Despite the film's good points, I struggled to really enjoy it, given that everything it preaches is the antithesis of morality. Now, don't get me wrong, I've watched and enjoyed my fair share of amoral (and immoral) films, but the whole GFC just makes me mad, as it should any rational human being. It was simply stealing money from people who can't afford it. There were no redeeming features about it, and this film chooses to celebrate that.

If you don't care about all that, I'm sure you'll enjoy the film (and it is enjoyable). If you have a conscience, you might not be taken in so much by it's worship of money.

This is easily Leo's best performance ever!

[alexscott-35299 · 10/10 · 15 November 2021]

This movie is absolutely amazing and it deserved way more Oscar wins. Leonardo DiCaprio is unbelievable and this movie is his best performance and he isn't the only one putting in an amazing performance, this film is littered with them, Jonah Hill is amazing, Margot Robbie is so good to say this was her first major role. I love the story that this movie is telling and the direction on how they tell it is amazing aswell. This is easily one of the best movies of all time and it will go down in history as one of Leo's best ever movies. I love it so much!

The Wolf of Wall Street was a pretty crazy movie. Not, only did it sell the pen. The dark comedy concept sold the movie.

[ironhorse_iv · 7/10 · 18 June 2014]

If this movie wasn't so outrageous mess up funny. It would be so unlikable to watch. In my opinion, should had been call, 'The Wolves of Wall Street'. Nobody has any morals balls in this movie as every character in this film is pretty greedy liars. They all felt like one-dimensional greed caricatures than human beings. Most of the character really need more well-rounded depth to them. Based on 2007's memoirs, true story of Jordan Belfort. The movie focus on Jordan (Leonardo DiCaprio) rise to a wealthy stockbroker through the use of corruption scams; while under the watchful eyes of the federal government in the 1990s. The black comedy directed by Martin Scorsese, is pretty well-made. Still, it really felt too much of a glamorization of the lifestyle, than a moral tale, in my opinion. It felt like lets show as much f*ck up things as we can for 2 hours, and then in the last few minutes, show the negative results of what happen. It was bit one-sided argument. It made the film seem a bit unrealistic, with how many crude things, these people could get away with. This movie will likely inspiring others to do the same mistakes, rather than teach them, not to do what Belfort did. After all, the real Belfort got paid for this movie, a million dollar and a cameo. Since 2013, the opening of this movie, Belfort hasn't pay enough money back to the victims of his crimes. The U.S. government is not holding Belfort in default of his payments, but it is unclear when the full amount of the mandated restitution will ever be paid by him. He's pretty much, got Scot free in his case, and that really sucks to hear, if he stole money from you. The acting is really alright. Leonardo DiCaprio can really put out the charm. He can also do the yelling, that he been known for. He wasn't afraid of going over the top with this. Still, this role wasn't anything new for him. After all, he played similar characters in both 2013's Great Gatsby and 2002's Catch Me if you can. Instead of playing it straight, he just went 100% crazy with this role with all the sex scenes and drug use. Honestly, with all the drug use, Jordan portray in the film doing, how is this guy even alive? The one person that deeply surprise me was Jonah Hill as his partner in crime, Donny Azoff. You really didn't see this type of acting coming from him. The supporting cast was pretty good for the most part. I have to say, while his premise on film is short, Matthew McConaughey as Mark Hanna, Jordan's mentor, was pretty memorable. The women characters were pretty typecast as trophy wives, money hungry girlfriends, or eye candy hookers, who mostly go around, full frontal nudity, or having sex. If they're not, doing that, they portray as bitchy gold-diggers with no sense of morals. Margot Robbie is a pretty face, but gees, she couldn't act. At the beginning of her presence, she had an Australian accent that made more sense since her aunt is British. Then,out of the blue, you hear this awful screeching New Yorker/New Jersey Guido accent that sounds like something out of Jersey Shore. She couldn't show depth in her character, if Martin Scorsese wanted to. It's really uncomfortable and offended how women were portray in the film. The only female character was somebody to root for, was Aunt Emma (Joanna Lumley), but she ain't no angel. I have to say, for men, at less, we got a counter-protagonist fighting against the antagonist Jordan in Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) who did wonderful in his role. He wasn't one-dimensional pencil pusher, Boy Scout. He was willing to go one on one with Jordan. The movie even have a somewhat moral character in Jordan's father, Max (Rob Reiner) who tries hard to get Jordan to live life, the right way, but always his son to make the mistakes, needed to grow. I love the idea, how Martin Scorsese film it, with the use of wide ends, slow motion and others to show the effects of the drugs or heavy party scenes. The movie really felt like it could had work in a 3D settling. I love how he aged the film for the infomercial sequence to make it look like something that came out in the 1990s. I love all the commercials footage used from Benihana to Steve Madden. The CGI in the film is a bit choppy. You can see, how bad, it was in the storm scenes, but there is rare mistakes made this film. Great use of establish music to set the mood of the film. The humor is a hit or miss. Some of them were really just crude like the homophobic, sexism and racism comments. While, others were pretty clever and funny. I love all the fourth wall jokes with Jordan gives lengthy explanations of Stockbroker terminology; only to drop it midway through. I love pop culture references like Moby Dick, Gordon Gekko, Freaks, James Bond, Willy Wonka and others. The movie had a cluster F-Bomb with 544 uses of the word. Some of them seem natural; while other seem oddly place. This film has the record for the most uses of the word in a fiction film. The movie is 3 hours long with its pacing. You can't really tell, with the pacing, due to not a lot of slow scenes. Still, there were few gags did go on way too much. You can cut the movie to 1hr and 30 minutes, and get the same results. I was deeply surprised, that this movie wasn't NC-17 with its strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language throughout, and for some violence. It's one of the movies that should be. Overall: Well-made movie that was kinda offended, but still watchable.

Excess Is Boring, Especially When It's Three Hours Long

[evanston_dad · 5/10 · 9 January 2014]

Martin Scorsese at his undisciplined worst.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" is 90 minutes of glib satire stretched over an interminable 180 minute film. I get it, I get it -- the excess of the film itself matches the excess of the Wall Street world depicted in it. But excess, both as a subject matter and as a style, is boring after a while. The first hour or so of the film blows the roof off the joint, and I was sure I was experiencing a film that would go down as one of Scorsese's best. But as it went on and on, and Leonardo DiCaprio's performance became more and more histrionic, and the film made the same point over and over, I had that depressing feeling that comes when a movie you're really enjoying makes a wrong turn and becomes one you really dislike.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" is of course critic proof. Anyone who doesn't like it is instantly categorized by its fan boys as stodgy and unable to handle the subject matter, as if it's an impossibility that someone could dislike the film simply because they don't think it's any good. Whatever. It's an overblown mess, stupid when it's trying to be funny (the Quaalude scene, for example) and in desperate need of someone who had the balls to tell one of America's greatest directors that he was letting his material run away with itself.

Grade: C

High energy and wonderfully excessive as it delivers an engaging true story, but the lack of morality anywhere was a limiting factor

[bob the moo · 17 January 2014]

This film arrived in the UK with awards and Oscar nominations all around it, adding an expectation which it really didn't need adding since even without any of that it is ultimately a Scorsese film with a big name cast. It also arrives with some other stuff because the film has been criticized for near glamorization of the excesses that Belfort was able to experience with his ill-gotten funds and, to be honest, it is an impression that isn't helped when you consider that this film was put forward to the Golden Globes in the Musical/Comedy section. Now I am sure that was a political move by the studio, but it does say something about the film because indeed for most of it we have stuff so unbelievable and so excessive that it is hard not to laugh at it. It is hard not to enjoy it.

And this is a problem, because the first 2 hours and a bit of this film is really engaging and enchanting in how much of a rush it gives you, how enticing it is and just how much vibrant energy it all has. The viewer is swept along and I guess to a point this is the film doing its job well because not only are we being told a story but we are first hand seeing how easy it is to get caught up in the grab for success, for money, for status. In this regard the film works really well because throughout the film I really was glad to be part of it and wanted it for myself; I don't think the film goes out of its way to glamorize this excess and this life, but for sure it doesn't do much to balance it – and this really is my problem with the film.

The structure, subjects and delivery of this film is so inherently similar to Goodfellas that it is hard not to mention it. If you remember the opening of Goodfellas you'll remember that it opens with a memorably violent scene where an near-dead man in the back of a car is stabbed by Hill and his colleagues in a scene that is oppressive and violent but yet ends with the narration telling us "as far back as I can remember I wanted to be a gangster" and snaps to credits under a big track from Tony Bennett. This scene is important because it works as a microcosm of the whole film – the appeal but also the cost, all in one place. Wolf of Wall Street never has any of that and it hurts it. I suspect the message of the film is that our financial systems are screwed and that ultimately the rich will never be in the same world as the average person, because this is what I took from the rather sobering final scenes. However if this is the point it is trying to make then it really hurts itself with the rest of the film seeming to say "so why not get on board". I know this is not the case but the lack of a "point" or an agenda it the film means that it naturally fills it with its own, which is a weird feeling.

But then again – I guess it is a comedy. So the infamous Quaalude scene is not horrific but rather hilarious, the scenes of excess and of criminality are not equally appealing and repulsive – they are almost totally appealing, we hardly get the other side or get to see a victim here, and a few seconds on the subway with the FBI agent really does nothing but yet again make the suggestion that "it's all broken so why not at least get rich yourself". Getting away from this, it is a well made film. Scorsese makes this award season's second film to owe a massive debt to Goodfellas (American Hustle being the other) and he directs the film with energy; music is used well as one would expect and the editing makes the film pop. DiCaprio is great in the lead – OK he doesn't find the heart of the character, but the film doesn't ask him to. Instead he is charismatic and energetic, drawing the viewer in and giving the film its energy. The supporting cast is deep with names and familiar faces and it is a statement about how well the film holds the viewer, because it isn't distracting no matter how many famous faces or supporting character from TV appear (although I did notice that this and American Hustle had lots of faces from HBO's Boardwalk Empire). Jonah Hill is over the top in a way that works, although I am surprised to see him getting an Oscar nomination for it in such a crowded year.

Wolf of Wall Street has had a lot of praise and this will continue as the Oscars approach and are awarded. Personally I enjoyed the film as a funny true story delivered with energy and excess but in many ways it is not Goodfellas and the most important of these is that the film lacks a moral core to itself, to its characters and to its message. I don't mind the "it's all screwed so who cares" message that it ultimately seems to give, but I didn't feel comfortable with how wide a smile it had on its face while it was delivering it.

The best movie of 2013

[diegocoda · 10/10 · 22 September 2021]

The movie is just the best, the acting is great and even I say that it was Oscar-worthy and the plot is simply one of the best ones; the message that it brings to you that money brings power and it is not always for the best because in this movie we see the downfall of a man that will learn that actually in life the money can be a drug and will simply make you cause damage to yourself.

Brilliant Satire

[diogomanuelsabino · 10/10 · 8 April 2021]

What a Masterpiece.!!!!!!

Leo and Scorsese did it again.... One of the best movies that came out in the last years.

Dicaprio played his best role in this, he was simply amazing as this con man who will do anything to become richer.

Leo is one of the rare reliable actors

[hassanmy-03285 · 10/10 · 13 February 2021]

You can literally watch any movie for leo without reading the reviews, but this movie is special, it's been the fastest 3 hours in my life .

The Wolf of Wall Street is Leonardo DiCaprio's Crowning Work

[ClaytonDavis · 9/10 · 17 December 2013]

Martin Scorsese has done it again. His newest and most refreshing effort he's contributed to the world of cinema in years, The Wolf of Wall Street is a roaring thrill ride that is both absolutely hilarious and meticulously constructed. It also presents Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio in possibly his finest acting performance of his career. At one-minute shy of three hours, I was both engaged and hypnotized nearly the entire duration. A comedic epic that studies the behavior and cultures of a time in America, feels like the uncovering of a time capsule that was buried and dug up to give insight into our current financial crisis. Much more than just laughs, it turns on the dramatic elements early enough in the film to warrant considerable reactions about the choices of our key characters. Expertly paced with intelligent moral questions presented, The Wolf of Wall Street is one of the best films of the year.

Telling the story of Jordan Belfort, a young Wall Street broker that gets involved in drugs, money, and even more drugs during the 80's and 90's. In his tenure trading (and stealing), Jordan marries, divorces, does drugs, marries again, does even more drugs, makes solid friendships, and believe it or not, does a lot more drugs. Watching the destruction of Jordan acted as a documentarian's insight that felt like I was watching "Intervention" without the family that cares. The Wolf of Wall Street is a black comedy, giving hints of drama. Natural comparisons will fly to Oliver Stone's Wall Street which is accurate but you can see subtle hints of films like Trading Places, Glengarry Glen Ross, and even American Psycho. That's a testament to Scorsese's outstanding direction and Terence Winter's masterful screenplay. Scorsese keeps Wolf life-size, sprinkled with characters that are both geniuses and morons, but functioning morons. They're like the frat pack group that sat in a corner on my college campus, being loud and obnoxious, and made terrible life choices that they still aren't aware of until this day. Scorsese puts together an all-star cast to inhabit these beings that includes DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bernathal, and Kyle Chandler. All of which seem to be having the time of their lives.

A lot of the credit of the film's overall success has to be awarded to Leonardo DiCaprio. I've never seen him truly "go for it" in a way that he exhibits as Jordan Belfort. In his breaking of the fourth wall, to his long but completely engaging monologues about life, money, and greed, it's the most assured and compelling work by the actor to date. When DiCaprio unleashed his talents in the mid-90's in What's Eating Gilbert Grape? and later stole the hearts of tween girls everywhere in Titanic, who knew this is the role he'd been gearing up to play. This is the role of his career and something that the Academy Awards should look to for his long overdue recognition. It's a charming and adventurous turn that presents a conundrum to the audience as we find ourselves both enamored and loathing the pure essence of Jordan. A sequence of DiCaprio crawling on the floor will probably be the scene of the year. This is DiCaprio's crowning achievement.

As the magnetic and cheesy-minded right-hand man, Jonah Hill's performance as Donnie Azoff is another great turn for the 30-year-old actor. He's allowed to explore some of his comedic ticks and beats that he may not have ever had the opportunity to explore in films like Superbad or 21 Jump Street. In Wolf, he relies on his own instincts, and his chemistry with DiCaprio, which has helped him before for his Oscar-nominated work in Moneyball opposite Brad Pitt. Matthew McConaughey, is one scene shy of winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. While his work in Dallas Buyers Club will bring him the acclaim and recognition that he deserves, The Wolf of Wall Street is a prime example of what he should be doing when he's not working or seeking out the strong, independent features that are geared for awards recognition. Stealing every frame and focus from DiCaprio in his ten minute screen time, McConaughey utilizes all his charm and spunk as Mark Hanna, the mentor to young Jordan as he started out.

Like any great Scorsese film, the women are in full-force and given the opportunity to shine like the others. Cristin Millotti, a toned down and tragic version of Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny, is sensational in her brief appearances on screen. Beautiful and sympathetic, she offers much needed serious and dramatic elements to Jordan's outrageous antics. In the end, a star is born in the gorgeous and vivacious Margot Robbie as Naomi Lapaglia, Jordan's second wife. Whoever was going to be cast as Naomi, had to be an actress of considerable talent and had the ability to really be the sexy kitten but still warrant an emotional reaction from the audience when called upon. Margot Robbie was the perfect choice and she'll need to owe Scorsese royalties for years to come with the roles she'll be offered following this. Robbie is pure magic and is everything she's required to be. She's the more elusive, compelling, and more thought out version of Scarlett Johansson's character in Don Jon.

I loved every second of The Wolf of Wall Street. Terence Winter's script is a natural and well-oiled machine that produces the words of a demigod. You couldn't make these things up. Thelma Schoonmaker is the utmost professional and continues to shine film after film. You won't find another dedicated and glossed editing work this year. The other supporting actors do sensational work especially Kyle Chandler, who has a very well-constructed exchange on a boat with DiCaprio, has us asking more and more, why is this guy not helming his own films on a consistent basis yet?

Wolf in a $2,000 suit

[tomsview · 9/10 · 14 June 2014]

An old adage goes that if on a certain day, everyone in the world received a million dollars, by the end of the day, ten percent of the people would have all the money.

"The Wolf of Wall Street" pretty much shows how that could happen.

Based on Jordan Belfort's book, this is a very entertaining movie - although probably not for those who lost their money. The film follows Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) from newbie stockbroker to head of Stratton Oakmont, the largest 'Over The Counter' stockbroking firm in the US.

Along the way he has two marriages, acquires luxury homes and automobiles, a sea going yacht with a helicopter, a taste for wild office sex parties, which would put a Roman orgy to shame, and a huge drug habit. But even after the FBI steps in and everything unravels, the guy still can't help making money.

The movie is loud, lewd and often hilarious; it doesn't have a boring minute.

Matthew McConaughey gives a brief but telling performance as Mark Hanna who initiates Belfort into the darker side of Wall Street. He also introduces the tribal chest-thumping chant that becomes a motif throughout the film.

Aussie Margot Robbie is hard to take your eyes off as Belfort's second wife, Naomi. She was also an amusing guest on talk shows when the movie was released where she told how she pulled off the Brooklyn accent, and kept the news about her nude scenes from her family for as long as possible.

But this is Leonardo's movie. Although in his portrayal of Belfort, where there appears to be almost no moral or ethical boundaries, he keeps our sympathy because he can actually laugh at himself; it's a high energy performance, but with a light touch.

In a way, the performance has echoes of the one he gave for Spielberg in "Catch Me If You Can". Despite the fact that both Jordan Belfort and Frank Abagnale Jr. break the law, their sheer audacity dazzles us. Also, both Spielberg and Scorsese have great comedic timing; they know how to deliver a punch line. If you were looking for a reason why this film works better than Scorsese's "The Aviator", which also starred Leonardo, it could simply be the latter film's lack of humour - Hughes was eccentric but he wasn't funny.

Enjoyable as "The Wolf of Wall Street" is, at the end you can't help wondering if even half of it is true, how it is that with people like Belfort and his friends helping themselves to such over-sized slices of the pie, that the world's economy hasn't descended to the level it did in 1929. In a way, it's actually a very scary movie.

The Wolf of Wall Street stands as another masterpiece by Scorsese and DiCaprio and is an absolute must-see

[kevin_robbins · 10/10 · 3 October 2023]

I recently watched The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) on Prime. The storyline follows a young man in New York who excels at day trading and quickly rises through the ranks to amass great wealth, eventually starting his own company. As he becomes more affluent and successful, he draws the government's attention for his activities. Can he elude the long arm of the law, or will they bring about his downfall?

Directed by the iconic Martin Scorsese (Casino) and featuring stellar performances from a talented cast including Leonardo DiCaprio (Django), Jonah Hill (Superbad), Margot Robbie (Barbie), Matthew McConaughey (Killer Joe), Shea Whigham (Splinter), Kyle Chandler (Super 8) and Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead).

This film boasts an outstanding cast, mesmerizing performances, sharp dialogue, superb narration, and features beautiful women throughout, alongside unbelievable circumstances that capture the viewer's imagination. Every scene within the office setting is mind-blowing, making you yearn to be part of that extravagant lifestyle. While the ending may be somewhat predictable, as all good things must eventually come to an end, especially illegal ones, DiCaprio and Hill's dynamic chemistry shines through. The supporting roles played by Robbie and Chandler are executed flawlessly, and the cameo by the actual Wolf of Wall Street at the end adds an intriguing touch.

In conclusion, The Wolf of Wall Street stands as another masterpiece by Scorsese and DiCaprio and is an absolute must-see. I would give this a 10/10 and strongly recommend it.

sometimes hilarious

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 10 November 2014]

Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a regular guy from Long Island working at the ground level in a Wall Street firm where Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey) is the star broker. On the first day of him becoming a licensed stockbroker, the market crashes in Black Monday. His firm goes bankrupt and he's thrown into the streets. With the support of his wife Teresa (Cristin Milioti), he ends up working in a Long Island boiler room dealing in penny stocks. He starts his own firm gathering a group of questionable salesman like Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill). He quickly rises gaining the attention of FBI Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler). It is a drug-filled, stripper-strutting, midget-throwing wild-partying office. Jordan has an affair with Naomi Lapaglia (Margot Robbie) and eventually even marrying her. However the high life doesn't last even with their own Swiss banker.

This has some funny moments and sometimes even gut busting hilarity. I do have a small problem trying to enjoy this movie at the start. Jordan becomes essentially a con man. The joke is that they're having all this fun but I can never forget that the fun is done on everybody else's dime. The characters laugh while I cringe. About halfway through, I do get acclimatized and feel more at ease with the movie. There are some great scenes. The scene of Jordan rallying the troops for the Steve Madden IPO is amazing. Leo gives a full-out performance.

Wolf of Wall Street review

[Al_The_Strange · 9/10 · 29 December 2013]

If you've seen The Goodfellas or Casino, then you'll know the story of The Wolf of Wall Street. This is another tale of a criminal whose ambitions sweep him away into a debauched world of dirty money, out-of-control substance abuse, endless lies, a troubled family life, and a downward spiral of corruption that inevitably leads to his own undoing. Only thing is, this is less about the gangsters and mafia, and more about white-collar crime. The guys wear suits, work in proper offices, and everything they do is just business; funnily enough, this whole movie still plays out like a kind of gangster film.

Based on the memoirs of Jordan Belfort - the real-life stock broker who made millions by selling shoddy stocks to average joes - the film showcases one seriously messed-up slimeball of a man. If his scheme sounds familiar, it's because it's been the inspiration behind the 2000 film Boiler Room, and this film covers much of the same concepts, albeit with better structure. The film maintains a close and intimate focus on the man as he rises to power, suckers thousands into his schemes, and then lives a life of extreme excess. And it is extreme: the whole film becomes laden with drugs, sex, superficial luxuries, material things, and characters who want nothing more than to take and consume everything. The sheer corruption becomes palpable on-screen, and I couldn't help but to shake my head at numerous scenes when I saw just how far these wolfish characters have gone in their unrestrained partying and debauchery. I have no clue as to how closely this film adapts the real-life events, but at times it's almost hard to believe that things could have gone this far. And yet, the excesses serve to underscore key themes and criticisms on the American dream; the pursuit of money and success, through any means, remains the main drive of the characters and the movie, and it leads to a fairly hard-hitting downfall.

This film features good-looking photography and editing. Acting is great: Leonardo DiCaprio is practically perfect as the titular character, and the rest of the cast pulls their weight really well (including Jonah Hill, who seems to fit into his character's archetype very comfortably). Writing is really sharp and good; the film is full of great lines and great speeches. There are some great-looking sets, props, and costumes on display in this film. Music has a varied mix of songs, and they're all used really well for their intended effect.

The Wolf of Wall Street is every bit as good as Martin Scorsese's previous work with The Goodfellas and Casino. All these films work with similar plots and themes, but TWOWS is like a gangster film masked by the thin veil of upper-class corporate swindling. It is a film that candidly shows the crimes and excesses in full, before proving that, even for the super-rich, crime still doesn't pay.

Recommended! 4.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Perfect)

Even when you have everything, you still want more

[siderite · 7/10 · 3 February 2014]

It is difficult to watch a movie that you absolutely know how it will end. Scorsese is known for casting Leo diCaprio as the young energetic underdog that gets the world, only to lose it wholesale. The other movies of this sort, though, were interesting because they featured the criminal underworld or some other bizarre and exotic environment. The Wolf..., in comparison, is a movie about spammers and thieves that get drunk and high all the time in order to keep up with their own fantasies about their lives. Really, you could make it about Romanian hackers and it would have been a much better and fun film, with the same general ideas.

Even worse for this three hour movie, Matthew McConaughey appears in a tiny role at the start of the film and explains it all: you don't want to make money for the client, you want to keep him betting on stocks, getting fabulously rich - on paper, while you get hard cash from commissions. The basic trade that we are supposed to empathize with is phone spamming and conning greedy and uninformed clients.

The money that gets generated for the stock traders "more than we knew what to do with" doesn't go into "diversification", doesn't go into growing the people that until then were hungry bastards looking to pay their mortgage, it isn't invested into anything. It just goes on expensive cars, yachts, prostitutes, drugs and trophy wives. And while I admit many people would sell their soul to get to the point where they can do that, the outcome of such a behavior is obviously not good if that is all you do.

And I am not being moralizing here. Hell, screw the bitches and snort the dope, but do something with yourself, plan for when the money will not be so good, make sure you will never get screwed over by technicalities, government agents, false friends or accidents. Instead the characters in the film act like there is no tomorrow. Literally they behave like the end of the world is around the corner. For three hours. It quickly gets old.

There is some value in the ending, when DiCaprio's character is terrified he is going to get to jail, only to discover than when you have money, it isn't that bad at all, but other than that I just wanted to see the film end. There is no cat and mouse game with the FBI, nothing comes as a surprise, it just goes on and on with how wonderful it is to have enough money to spend it stupidly when you earn it by praying on people even more stupid than yourself.

Bottom line: while DiCaprio makes a good role - after all, he is a damn good actor - the film itself is only mildly entertaining. Considering it is based on an autobiographical book, you might forgive the film for being too real and too boring, but there is still the matter of why someone would choose to make a movie on such a material. I watched the film with two other people and they were both awed by the opulence depicted in the film and the comparison of their own lives to that of the protagonists. I guess there is that; learn that if you are ingenious enough, hungry enough, you can make yourself have all the money in the world. Perhaps Scorsese wanted this, or perhaps he missed the point with me, because all I felt when the film was over is that I am happy with my life and I am glad the movie finally ended.

It is interesting to read about Jordan Belfort, that's a real person. Also, his story is told in another movie from 2000, called Boiler Room, with Giovanni Ribisi and Vin Diesel. Might be worth a look.

At what point does a movie about deplorable debauchery become deplorable debauchery?

[cricketbat · 4/10 · 28 December 2021]

One of the many reasons The Wolf of Wall Street didn't sit right with me is that I couldn't tell what it was trying to say. It seemed to glorify what Jordan Belfort and his cohorts did instead of condemning it. And at some points, the movie that was trying to tell us about deplorable debauchery became deplorable debauchery itself. It's an interesting story featuring good acting, but overall it's just kind of disgusting.