Review of The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) by Stephen T — 15 May 2015
Martin Scorsese hasn't made many comedies in his long career. Oh sure, he has made some of the all time great gangster and crime films - of this have no doubt. Yet the list of comedies grows short with only the acidic The King of Comedy (1983) coming to mind.
The current vogue among comedies are raunchy with a personal touch. The Wolf of Wall Street uses Scorsese's favorite actor of late Leonardo DiCaprio in a comedic setting. It shows the actor's and director's relationship has come full circle.
From the early dramas like Gangs of New York (2002) or The Aviator (2004), to the trust it takes to makes a comedy. It is a risk for a legendary director to make a comedy since he will forever be known for his dramas.
The Wolf of Wall Street fails if audience members view it as a cautionary tale of greed and lust. It works better if viewed as a satire or raunchy tall tale. While not Scorsese's best film, it does draw strong biographical parallels to Goodfellas (1990) in its storyline.
Above all, The Wolf of Wall Street is a legacy film built by Scorsese to have fun and to flex his directorial muscles by doing comedy in the twilight of his career.
This review of The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) was written by Stephen T on 15 May 2015.
The Wolf of Wall Street has generally received very positive reviews.
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