Review of The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) by Cdymawstro — 15 Jan 2014

I am a gigantic Scorsese fan. I go back to Mean Streets. There is no problem with the direction and the acting is top notch, especially Jonah Hill who keeps getting better with each performance. It is a true adaptation of Belfort's novel.

The pace can be electrifying at times, so good you forget the 3 hour running time. Cinematically, it has subtle moments of genius. So why a mediocre review? Personal prejudice with the subject matter.

While watching this movie, you wait for redemption or at least true punishment. You expect Jake LaMotta to live a sad life, Henry Hill to crumble and Joe Pesci was doomed in both Goodfellas and Casino.

They were satisfying endings because in the moral mind of the audience, they reaped what they had sown. I don't believe I am spoiling anything when I say Belfort has not really been given, what most of our recently recession minds would consider, a gigantic cross to bear.

I believe the mixed reviews you are seeing have a lot to do with the time of release. Most people won't get past the " These are the clowns that killed the economy" feeling. The Wolf comes at you hard and doesn't let up.

It is a spot-on take of the excess of boiler room bandits. Movie making wise, Scorsese remains a master and his muse DiCaprio brilliant. Another time and another place, maybe I would enjoy it. For me, it was too exhausting.

It was excess on the excess. I know it was real to the core, I have met some of the characters. These are empty people. I guess I am just at that stage in life where I want to escape when I go to the movies.

The Wolf is great film making, but it is also a horrendous story about horrendous people.