Flash Movie Review: The Wolf of Wall Street
When two people work well together they create something truly special. I have one friend who is the only person I will travel with because we compliment each other so well. When we are exploring a new city or area out of state, we usually cover everything on our to do list. If for no other reason because we both are avid walkers. For example at a national park while they read all the signage that pertains to each site, I make sure I take multiple photo shots to create a visual travelog. After we return home we can easily recreate our vacation down to the littlest of details. In film history there have been several couples who had a way of blending with each other to give us memorable moments. Some of these pairings would be Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy and Myrna Loy/William Powell. A current couple that does something special when they get together on a film project is Leonardo DiCaprio (The Departed, Titanic) and director Martin Scorsese (Hugo, The Departed). In this crime comedy the two men made a spectacular film. Based on a true story Leonardo played Jordan Belfort, a New York stockbroker who was at the center of a huge securities fraud scheme back in the 1990s. With his partner Donnie Azoff, played by Jonah Hill (This is the End, Moneyball), the two built up a brokerage firm that would fund their excessive lifestyle; it did not matter if it was legal or not. I believe this was Leonardo’s best acting performance to date. Not only the emotional aspect but the physical side of his acting created a volcanic, unforgettable character. The casting of this Golden Globe nominated movie yielded several interesting choices such as Rob Reiner (The Story of Us, All in the Family-TV) playing Jordan’s father Max Belfort and Joanne Lumley (Late Bloomers, Absolutely Fabulous-TV) as Aunt Emma. For the few scenes they had, each left a lasting impression. Now I understand the movie originally clocked in over 4 hours but after some editing it was reduced to 3. This was still too long for me, since I felt the amount of sexual scenes were excessive. With that being said, Martin’s directing was pure perfection; each scene came across fully realized. Some viewers may have a hard time with the nudity and use of strong language throughout the film. Based on the track record for Leonardo and Martin, we should be in store for more movie magic in the future.
3 3/4 stars
Posted on December 30, 2013, in Comedy and tagged 3 3/4 stars, biography, comedy, crime, joanne lumley, jonah hill, leonardo dicaprio, martin scorsese, matthew mcconaughey, rob reiner. Bookmark the permalink. 17 Comments.
Nice review, looking forward to watching this one.
I have always been a fan of this pair, Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese.
Be prepared for a wild ride then when you get to see this film. Thank you for coming by to leave your comments.
Wish you a very happy new year and waiting for more movie reviews.
🙂
Happy New Year Mr. MJ! Thank you for those lovely reviews!
Thank you and I want to wish you a new year filled with good health and an abundance of joy. Thank you for your kind support, I appreciate it always.
Solid review. While it’s not my cup of tea I have enjoyed reading the reviews. They have been mostly positive but there are some critics who have some pretty big issues with it. Interesting.
I have noticed the difference appearing as I now look at the reviews. The acting was the strongest part of the movie I felt. Happy new year Keith; may the new year bring happiness and joy to you and your family. Here is to a new year of fun and exciting films to review.
Back at ya! Can’t wait to read your content throughout the upcoming year!
Reblogged this on Direct From The Street – Stuff We And People Share.
I’ve much difficult to write in English. I’m the Tipic Italian that studies English but loves the italian languages. Well, happy new year. I hope much good luck for you and a wonderful year with your family! Best wishes. Aida
Thank you so much for your kind words; your message came through clearly. May the new year provide you unexpected joys, special happiness and good health. I consider you so fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Be well.
It’s a long movie for sure, but one that I enjoyed very much. Also what helps is the fact that I’m a huge Leo fan and almost always trust him to put in an amazing performance. Good review.
Thanks so much and glad you also are a Leo fan. He is quite gifted and is astounding in this film. We now have to wait for the Oscars to see what they think of him.
Just finished watching this movie and wow! I agree with you that this was DiCaprio’s best work to date and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the film. It had a very cool Goodfellas meets Wall Street feel about it and everything just worked. It was a long film but I would be curious to see what was cut out of it and would probably watch an unrated exteded director’s cut if it ever became available.
So glad you loved this film. Thanks for telling me.
We watched this on Netflix last night. Leonardo’s acting was brilliant! Yes, rather long, but I was never bored. I was glad to find your good review on this one, as I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t enjoyed it.
So glad you enjoyed this film. Thanks for letting me know.