The Wolf of Wall Street Reviews

One of the amazing movies to show what a salesperson with right attitude and skills can do. A lot of learnings in one flick.

Loud, over the top fun. Great acting from all involved. Worth watching just for the sheer outrageousness of it all.

To an extent, The Wolf Of Wall Street is like an experiment on part of director Martin Scorsese. Throughout his career, he has been known for some of the most notorious gangster and crime films in Hollywood and his past two projects Shutter Island and Hugo had been out of left field from his past auteurist techniques. The Wolf Of Wall Street marks the return of Scorsese and cast members embarking into a gangster-like underworld with prospects of criminals, money and drugs whilst simultaneously attempting to live a life outside of it. In that sense, The Wolf Of Wall Street is a bit like Goodfellas all over again but in a more contemporary visual style. It tells the true story of Jordan Belfort, a stock broker who rises through corruption, money, drugs and sex which consequently leads to his fall. Just by that short synopsis, it is certainly a story that Scorsese would be able to pull off seeing as it’s identical to Goodfellas. The Wolf Of Wall Street is another superb Scorsese triumph and proves that he can still at over 70 years old re-create his trademark style of the crime genre.


In terms of The Wolf Of Wall Street’s contents, it is filled with interesting concepts of filming techniques whilst also illustrating moments of shock and dark humour. In some ways, Scorsese has made this like a documentary with DiCaprio as Jordan being both a talking-head and utilising voice-over narration telling his story. These strategies worked because it is told from the perspective of specific individuals and Jordan is the central figure to the story. Furthermore, we have witnessed a range of films featuring shocking sex scenes and excessive use of strong language but not in a long time has there been one featuring more than in The Wolf Of Wall Street. This brings us to what the film provides on an emotional level as there are moments of pure hilarity. Black comedies featuring crime only intends to be funny with a certain sense of humour and jokes aren’t directly told in the plot like in traditional comedies. To an extent, this coincides with humour from films by the Coen Brothers and Quentin Tarantino.


The Wolf Of Wall Street sees Leonardo DiCaprio collaborate with Martin Scorsese for the fifth time. Their previous works together have seen a wider ensemble cast with highly developed supporting characters becoming almost like shared leading roles with DiCaprio, but The Wolf Of Wall Street is his film alone. He absolutely shines as Jordan Belfort with a performance that could possibly be his most complete to date. In this role, he presents pure charisma that sealed his place as a Hollywood star back in the mid-1990s. This is particularly due to Jordan’s charms and intelligence among peers and to the audience. On the other hand, his age catches up with the character he is playing as he becomes the leading, independent businessman and crook whilst we progressively follow Jordan down his destructive path from rise to fall, similar to Henry Hill in Goodfellas.


Furthermore, Jonah Hill has been an actor who, judging from his previous Oscar-nominated performance in Moneyball, does have a talent outside of the traditional overweight, geeky and rather idiotic stereotype that he’s usually been portraying. Whilst that character type is featured in The Wolf Of Wall Street, Hill’s performance as Donnie Azoff matches with the film’s dark humour and deserved to get his second Oscar nomination. Newcomer Margot Robbie also made her presence known in Scorsese’s latest in the role of Naomi Lapaglia/Belfort as her performance is nothing short of sexy yet emotional. It wasn’t the career breakthrough as we have seen in the past but we could see that of her in future performance, and her role in The Wolf Of Wall Street has shown she is capable.


Running at 180 minutes, The Wolf Of Wall Street may seem like a very slowly paced and stretchy film which it is slightly within the film's final 15-20 minutes but from the beginning, you are hooked and through narrative time, will be drawn in Jordan’s path of money, drugs and sex to his downfall. It is probably Scorsese’s longest film but has certainly cited itself as a reminder that the legendary director hasn’t gone weary over time with his trademark genre. The Wolf Of Wall Street may shock viewers with his explicit use of sexual activity, innuendos, drug use and language but it goes beyond the extreme by making it funny to which Scorsese impressively pulled off. Scorsese is still a sublime director and whatever feature he brings next will be another with exciting and high expectations.

This new Martin Scorsese's movie made me go speechless, I was absolutely stunned. This was not some random person's life story, it was based on the former stockbroker Jordan Belfort which mostly speaks about the frauds he committed. This movie was presented in a dark comedy like it's supposed to be, mainly because of three stuffs it deals, (1) drugs, (2) sex and (3) money.

Drugs: It was not the first time a Hollywood movie to represent this issue in raw act, but depends on whose movie it was. When filmmakers choose subjects like this they should ready to roll on any challenge that comes ahead so I believe Martin Scorsese did an exceptional job here to depict the truth as it should be.

Sex: It was very strong and kind of shocked to see in a Martin Scorsese movie. Like I said in earlier paragraph no matter what it is the director excelled in this department as well to extract the possible reality.

Money: This is a common theme in world cinema so no surprise the director mastered in this field as well without letting anything behind. But previous two themes from above two paragraphs braced this theme very comfortable blend and reached the crest of the tensed end part of the story.

Does it require to brief about Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill's contribution. Well, both of them were outstanding in their respective roles. And great supports from second stream actors and cameo appearances from various top profiles. The successful collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio continues to the next level. Hope this pair gives an another remarkable product in near future. Until then goodbye from me, I mean meet you in my next review and thank you for reading this. Cheers.

Viciously satirical and rambunctious, The Wolf of Wall Street finds Martin Scorsese making his sharpest comedy yet. Working for the fifth time with Leonardo DiCaprio, Scorsese’s always managed to push DiCaprio to his limits as an actor and get surprisingly full performances out of him; this movie can only be described as a bacchanal of greed, sex and drugs.

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, Wolf of Wall Street drops us into the hedonistic world of insider stock trading. Starting as a wide-eyed youth with dreams of making big money, Belfort throws out any altruism that may have remained in his character the moment he meets his new boss, played by Matthew McConaughey. McConaughey’s role is basically that of the Devil offering up a Faustian bargain, the opens the portal to excesses of cocaine (amongst many other drugs), attaining wealth at all costs (the customers don’t matter), and sex (women are objects to be exploited and concurred in this world). He doesn’t have much screen time, but McConaughey makes a lasting impression on not only DiCaprio’s Belfort, but on the audience.

The story naturally revolves around the social climbing and status obsessions that drive these characters before the eventual fall, brought about by their own hubris, or lack thereof. What we sit and become witness to is a series of deplorable acts. These begin small, by convincing millionaires to buy penny stocks – a quick way to amass a fortune if you figure out how to work the system. This quickly escalates into dropping his nice girl wife for the sexy model (Margot Robbie, as a woman who uses her sexuality as a power play), an insatiable need for any and all drugs, and various kinds of prostitutes.

If one is to believe the auteur theory, and I think it only works on a case-by-case basis, then the term papers on Scorsese practically write themselves. GoodFellas and The Wolf of Wall Street share many similarities, and a college essay detailing how they compare and contrast is just ripe for the picking for a film studies major. I think Scorsese firmly falls into the area of auteurism, as each of his films bare a certain set of trademarks. One of these trademarks is the lack of a typical score and a frantic editing pace that feels like rock and roll rhythms. Wall Street runs at a fever pitch of punk rock nihilism and speed-fueled energy. The first five minutes see Scorsese film a scene in which DiCaprio blows coke up a hooker’s ass. It’s that kind of crazy, strange trip.

No one can maintain a sense of relentless energy and momentum like Scorsese does, and at nearly three hours in length that’s no mean feat. The story and cast are sprawling, and Scorsese makes it all come together in sequences which are heavy on dialog and explaining how these nasty deeds were committed or the foul-mouthed poetry of DiCaprio’s narration. Scorsese finds a way to match the verbal contortions of Terence Winter’s script with his obscene images. And this is why I worship at the feet of Scorsese.

But let’s go back to that cast for a moment – I’ve already mentioned McConaughey, Robbie and DiCaprio. Yet I have not said much about DiCaprio’s work. I think that he’s reached a new level of his talents here. After years of picking brooding, serious roles like Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby or J. Edgar Hoover in J. Edgar, it’s refreshing to see him loosen up and let it rip. I think beneath the serious actor, charismatic leading man, and good looking movie star, beats the heart of a comedic actor. I was torn between wanting DiCaprio to finally win that elusive Oscar this year or wanting to see McConaughey awarded for his career resurgence and string of great performances. DiCaprio is just that good here. If the quaaludes scene isn’t enough to win it for him, I don’t know what else possibly could.

To continue on with the GoodFellas analogy, Jonah Hill would be the Joe Pesci role here. Hill’s sidekick role here is pure sleaze, his buckteeth and faux-yuppie clothing providing an outward appearance for the WASP-y ambitions that he so clearly has. To think that Hill has gone from Superbad to deranged character portrait he does here is pretty astounding to think about. These two partners-in-crime are like a coked-up variation of Laurel & Hardy, or something similar.

But all of this debauchery just makes the satire cut that much deeper. A scene where Belfort begins by saying he’s stepping down before doubling back and roaring like a mad lion that he’s not going anywhere plays out the corrupting promise of greed. It takes the mantra “Greed is good” to its logical conclusion: at some point in time, you begin to buy the very bullshit you’ve sold to get there. I felt no sympathy for these people, and none of the actors asked for us to like them, and, obviously, neither does Scorsese. The ending cuts even deeper as a rapt audience sits at full attention waiting for Belfort to impart his wisdom upon them, to unlock the secrets of wealth and conspicuous consumption. Welcome to America, now sell me this pen.

I have to say the performances, especially Leonardo DiCaprio's, were really solid. However, this is just so counter to my sensibilities that I felt like I was watching a horror film. Stunning cast and edgy writing - interesting shot choices. All in all, I understand why it is popular, it was too much. Reminded me a bit of my ad sales days.

"There's no nobility in poverty. I've been a poor man, and I've been a rich man. And I choose rich every fucking time."

2013's The Wolf of Wall Street is both an idiosyncratic Martin Scorsese picture and a considerable change of pace for the seasoned filmmaker. After dabbling in the PG-rated, family-oriented Hugo in 2011, Scorsese returns to his old stomping grounds here, creating an insane R-rated romp beset with profanity and nudity, not to mention scenes of drugs, alcohol and intense violence. Yet, The Wolf of Wall Street can also be considered Scorsese's first outright comedy, as it's predominantly pitched at a darkly comic tone and there are countless belly-laughs to be had. It's a satiric document of boys behaving badly, but Scorsese also permeates the production with plenty of gravitas, finding a perfect tonal balance to allow us to both take the material seriously and have fun along the way. Whereas Hugo was sweet and warm, Wolf is ruthlessly profane and hedonistic, and it deserves more acclaim than it appears to be receiving.

An ambitious kid fresh out of college, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) moves to the Big Apple seeking to strike it rich on Wall Street. Starting at the lowest rung of a big stock trading company, Jordan learns the ropes from seasoned big dog Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey), working to sell worthless stock to customers regardless of whether or not the client will benefit from the transaction. But 1987's Black Monday puts Jordan out of the job, and he soon finds himself pushing penny stocks on hapless blue collar workers, using his newfound talents to dumbfound his colleagues. Meeting Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill), Jordan eventually establishes brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont with help from his friends and acquaintances hungry for cash. Before long, Jordan makes a massive impact in the industry, finding himself with more money, drugs and women than he knows what to do with, eventually disposing of his first wife to marry sexy former model Naomi (Margot Robbie). But while Jordan is swimming in fortune, FBI Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) begins investigating the company's illegal practises, waiting for any opportunity to bring down the arrogant stock titan.

There's a good chance that 99% of the folks who watch The Wolf of Wall Street will have no idea about how the stock market works, or what exactly Jordan is doing to get himself filthy rich. It's thus a testament to the efficient screenplay and Scorsese's taut direction that, in basically no time at all, it's possible to get a firm enough grasp on what Jordan is doing and why this results in his insane wealth. Wolf is hugely convoluted due to its stock market machinations and various subplots involving the sizeable ensemble, yet it works; it's a structural masterpiece, as Scorsese guides the narrative with a storytelling sleight-of-hand that not many can equal, let alone top. There are no heroes in this story, just egotistical businessman determined to suck money from rich, gullible clients who are duped into buying stocks. Scorsese is not exactly flattering to this industry - the cheeky satiric message of Wolf is, of course, that there's no difference between real stockbrokers and Jordan's gang of fraudulent criminals.

Adapted from Jordan Belfort's real-life memoirs by Terence Winter (Get Rich or Die Tryin'), Wolf is a full meal, clocking in at a mammoth three hours in length. To be sure, the movie revels in bad behaviour, showing scene upon scene involving drugs, alcohol, prostitutes and other acts of utter debauchery, making its polarising reception quite understandable. In fact, a lot of people basically hate Wolf due to its excessive length, and that's a fair standpoint, but the excess is essentially the point. It's a ballsy move for any filmmaker to make a candid document of this type of lifestyle, and it worked for this reviewer. To cut back on the excess or spend more time focusing on these guys getting their comeuppance would dilute the story's message and impact. Thanks to the length, we grow to understand why these guys do what they do; because it's fun. It's morally wrong, sure, but Scorsese pitches the insanity at just the right tone, allowing us to laugh both at and with the characters. Scorsese stages some events like full-blown cartoons, including a hilarious scene of physical comedy in which Jordan and Donny become more or less paralysed due to drugs. Even funnier is seeing Jordan breaking from his drug coma by snorting cocaine, taking inspiration from Popeye as he watches the character become super-charged after a serving of spinach.

Nobody mounts three-hour epics quite as deftly as Scorsese, who demonstrates a firm grasp on the material. The Wolf of Wall Street is an extremely slick motion picture benefitting from top-notch production values that one would expect from a $100 million movie. Moreover, Scorsese's sense of pacing is simply immaculate. This is one long movie, but it's surprisingly digestible and light on its feet, which is a feat that not many can achieve other than Scorsese. However, there is evidence that the picture was trimmed. Wolf was delayed by a month to facilitate more time for Scorsese to complete the film, as the first cut ran for almost four hours and would've been NC-17. Some of the editing feels jarring and iffy, suggesting that segments of scenes were taken out, and one can't help but wonder what a more complete edit might look like.

This is career-best work for DiCaprio, who would do wise to stick by Scorsese for further projects. It's such an excellent performance due to DiCaprio's commitment to the material; he embodies Jordan Belfort body and soul, displaying exceptional passion and never breaking focus. Scorsese is unapologetic in showing Jordan as he is, not diluting the material to make him likeable, hence the wrong actor could've resulted in disaster. Luckily, DiCaprio is riveting throughout, and he's aided by the superb Jonah Hill who shows himself to be more than a one-trick comedic pony. Hill was so determined to work with Scorsese that he accepted absolute minimum wage for the shoot, and it pays off handsomely. Also standing out is Australian actress Margot Robbie, who's both beautiful and talented as Jordan's wife Naomi, espousing a masterful Boston accent and displaying as much simmering passion as DiCaprio. Even more impressive is veteran filmmaker Rob Reiner, who's an absolute scene stealer playing Jordan's hot-headed father. Reiner amasses laughs with confidence, and makes a hugely positive impression. Also of note is Matthew McConaughey, who lights up the screen despite his very limited screen-time. The Wolf of Wall Street is a magnificent acting showcase, with many other performers showing up throughout the picture, all of whom hit their marks.

The Wolf of Wall Street is a full-blown masterpiece, one of Scorsese's greatest achievements and by far and away the best motion picture of 2013. It's funnier than most comedies, sexier than most romances, and more thrilling than most action movies. Furthermore, it trumps American Hustle with ease, as Scorsese creates a far more involving narrative than David O. Russell's overrated period piece. It's rare to see such an effectively entertaining three-hour movie, and it's even rarer to see such a spot-on mix of spellbinding human drama, provocative social commentary and terrific dark comedy. You need to get this movie in front of your eyes.

9.3/10

Yes, I'm convinced by Di Carpio in every secene. The best are when he 'orays' his philosophy to the arousing masses in the office. The financial mob of capitalism at its emotional hegiths. Great secen between Di Caprio and the FBI agent in the yacht.

Don't get me wrong, I think Leonardo did a great acting job. But there's too much debauchery, drug binges and orgies to take any of it seriously. Scorsese should retire. This film is a joke.

Honestly, I didn’t care much for ‘Hugo’. I mean, it was a fine movie but not much more than that I’m afraid. Well, this time, Scorsese is back with his muse, Leonardo DiCaprio, and the end-result was much more than satisfying. Indeed, I thought it was so entertaining and actually downright hilarious which wasn’t something I really expected. During some scenes, especially when DiCaprio was heavily intoxicated, he gave us some real slapstick and it actually worked like a charm. I mean, even though there was a really solid supporting cast, the focus was put on Jordan Belfort and as a result, DiCaprio had basically to carry the whole thing on his shoulders. He did a fine job, supported by the fine directing provided by Martin Scorsese, but honestly, by now, we know pretty well that he can play the talented but very neurotic characters like no one else and it would be nice if he tried something else for once. Furthermore, the other characters were not very well developed since they didn’t get much space in my opinion which is rather surprising since the movie lasted 3 hours. And, indeed, it was rather long (the fact that I needed to take a piss for 2 hours didn’t help either) and you wonder how many times Belfort will finally get caught and eventually fall down. To conclude, it might not be one of the best movies made by the duo Scorsese-DiCaprio (I need to re-watch it to make up my mind though) but it was terribly entertaining and the most hilarious film from 2013 that I have seen so far.