A Special Guest Review Of "The Wolf Of Wall Street"

Now that you have read my review of Martin Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street" it's time for another perspective on the film from a member of my valued "Movie Posse" Michael DiFrancesco. He has an open invitation to post on TLR anytime that he wants to. I did not expect a review from "Surfer Boy" this time out, since he was not feeling all that great when we made our way to the cineplex....Thanks for taking the time Mike...

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio (Jordan Belfort) team up for their 5th movie together to create an unforgettable, fast moving, roller coaster ride of a movie that has you on the edge of your seat, but also scratching your head.

The movie is aptly named due to its true disguise of what the film actually wanted to achieve. Just as in little red riding hood, this movie dresses up like Boiler Room, but is really Blow in disguise. With his best performance to date, Jonah Hill (Donnie Azoff) plays Jordan’s best friend and business partner--Sealing the bond that this movie needed to somewhat keep the train on the tracks. Littered with hilarious side scenes and moments, I thought at first that Wolf of Wall Street lacked an identity and a focus. But upon further reflection , it was exactly what it should’ve been. Jordan Belfort, just like the movie, lacked an identity and a true focus other than drugs and sex. So in reality, Scorsese did a magnificent job and capturing Jordan Belfort’s upward rise, and downward spiral.

Fantastic cinematography and a very well written script (Terence Winter) add to the movie. DiCaprio is strongest when he is motivating and selling, which Belfort did extraordinary well. 

What the film lacked, it made up for with passion. Every actor and actress in the film knew they’re role, believed it, and captured what the non-traditional stockbroker was. The message of the film gets skewed not because of the story, but because of the glass from which is it viewed from. Many people will see and respond to this movie differently, and it is because the film leaves that interpretation up to you. It doesn’t give you a personal connection with any of the characters except for Belfort, who resembles your stomach on a rough boat ride.

In summary the film gives you a glimpse of greatness, but it is covered up, or snorted away by excessive drug use and sex, which leads to its unnecessarily long run time. While it is not one of Leo’s best acting performances, it is still a memorable one in which I recommend. Jonah Hill continues his campaign to become a serious actor, specifically an incredible supporting actor, and not just a guy who came up in Seth Rogan films. And Scorsese puts another notch in his belt of films that will undoubtedly make a splash in the box office.

It isn’t The Departed, and rightfully so, because it isn’t trying to be the Departed. If it were, it would’ve been a movie about a man who lost his blue chip stockbroker job and searched his entire life to get back to selling blue chip stocks. Instead it is about a man who lost his blue chip stock selling job, and built something out of nothing, with a group of nobody’s looking for an opportunity, and in the process threw his life away for the addiction of fame and fortune.