Review of The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) by Lknapp0425 — 27 Dec 2013

All reviews of Wolf of Wall Street should be liberally peppered with spoilers so the viewing public doesn't waste precious time and money. It's hard to understand why DiCaprio and Scorsese invested so much of themselves in this movie as director, actor and producers of this appalling production. One can assume they teamed up once again because they will most certainly make money hand over fist because this surreal, tasteless, vulgar and immature material does and will continue to appeal to the masses. It's disturbing to realize this production reflects how much cash (and other vices such as drugs, alcohol, sex and vulgarity) are controlling forces in the world. Of course, it's nothing new, but it would be nice to know there are people who value maturity! Most of us willing to a good laugh and we aren't repressed. I do question why there's such a compulsion to rely on the lowest common denominator to sell movie tickets.

While I do believe reviewers should fill their reviews of the Wolf of Wall Street with spoilers, I firmly believe readers and movie-goers should be able to read a review without learning every detail about a movie or book. However, I must defend those with physical disabilities as a whole and specifically those with Cerebral Palsy. The Wolf of Wall Street includes scene(s) in which DiCaprio and his sidekick, Jonah Hill take copious amounts of old Quaaludes and when they finally start to take affect, the effects are described by DiCaprio as a new level or experience in taking Quaaludes likened to having Cerebral Palsy. As someone who is profoundly affected since birth with Cerebral Palsy, you can be assured such a depiction was not only.

Tasteless, wrong but also offensive. As someone born with Cerebral Palsy, I am more than willing to laugh at myself as well. There are times if you don't laugh you'll cry. This was hurtful because in fact, those with Cerebral Palsy are often intelligent, compassionate and productive members of society. I loved my career as a social worker and I cherish being a wife, mother and a grandmother. Those involved with this movie should be ashamed of themselves. I did not leave the movie theater feeling good. I left feeling angry, dirty, demeaned and heartbroken. Normally, I would leave such a vile movie but it seemed so surreal, I kept waiting to see if there was a big payoff at the end. Instead, the movie proved to me it is nothing more than a failure--an enormous flop!!

I am especially angered because The Wolf of Wall Street had such potential to be an exceptional movie and it's has been poorly promoted. It occurs to me those involved with the movie might indeed be ashamed and elected to do little promotion and instead relied on DiCaprio's and Scorsese's name recognition in Hollywood. In researching the movie, I and many others wrongly assumed the movie was something akin to the movies, Wall Street, Catch Me If You Can with perhaps a dash of Goodfellas. Instead, it was more like, a disgusting remake of Animal House, if that's possible and a disappointing, cartoonish versions of Wall Street and Goodfellas. If I had the opportunity to counsel Mr. Scorsese and Mr. DiCaprio, I would strongly advise them to seek higher caliber projects where they don't work together anytime soon.

In studying the media about Wolf at Wall Street, it's obvious one of the biggest concerns was merely to learn of an appropriate release date so the movie and the actors would be eligible to compete during the upcoming awards season. I know Leonardo DiCaprio will be deserving of many future Oscars and SAG awards. I also know years from now, Wolf of Wall Street will be a cult favorite but this year Wolf of Wall Street should only win the Razzy.