Wolf of Wall Street

22/2/2014

Director: Martin Scorcese
Writers: Terence Winter (screenplay), Jordan Belfort (book)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie

The Wolf of Wall Street, based on the book of the same name, follows the life of money-hungry Jordan Belfort - from his rise to wealthy Wall Street monger to his fall as a disgraced criminal. Scorcese pulled together a talented cast that refused to give anything less than sensational and created a film with such high energy that it was easy to forget how long the actual running time was.

You would be hard-pressed to find a film by Martin Scorcese that disappointed, and you’re going to have to keep looking, because The Wolf is a lot of things, but disappointing is not one of them. One of the many great things about Martin Scorcese is his encouragement of improvisation. That scene where Leonardo DiCaprio is high on the Lemmons and he opens the car door with his feet? Improv and it was shot in one take. Just makes it simultaneously awe-inspiring and hilarious. Not that I’m surprised about those conclusions, cause Scorcese consistently makes films with authenticity and tenacity, and he shows no signs of slowing down.  

The book, penned by the real Jordan Belfort, details his outrageous and lavish life filled with sex, drugs and everything in between. Winter’s screenplay stays true to this, as is almost a perfect reflection of the book and it honestly make you question the truth of Belfort’s life, how could one person do so much shit? It’s insane, but it is all true.

This is Leo DiCaprio’s fifth film with Martin Scorcese and the partnership is obviously working out really well. DiCaprio gives a fantastic performance as the drug addicted, sex-crazy, greedy Wolf Street mogul, but his performance of Belfort as the damaged, unhinged man that he really was is where DiCaprio really shines – I would give you an example of his best scene, but it is every one. It is most definitely one of his best roles to date.

Jonah Hill, known mostly for his comedic roles, transforms himself for this dramatic role with such vigor and his portrayal of the obnoxious, yet no less damaged, Donnie Azoff shows a side of Hill that we rarely see.  I also found it interesting that when filming, Jon Bernthal (Brad) punched Jonah Hill so hard that his prosthetic teeth flew out of his mouth and cracked, and Martin Scorcese proceeded to film Hill’s face swell in real time. How awesome is that?  

Margot Robbie, an Australian actress, makes her mark on Hollywood with her stunning portrayal of Belfort’s wife, Naomi. Her dedication to her role shone through into her character, and here’s a little trivia, Scorcese actually offered for Robbie to wear a robe instead of being fully naked for her nude scene, but she declined and cited that “the whole point of Naomi is that her body is her only form of currency in this world… she has to be naked.” With that display of understanding her character, I am not surprised that Robbie’s was one of my favourite performances in the film.

Michael Carp composed the soundtrack of Wolf, which includes tracks from Billy Joel and Jo Cuba, which completely capture the personality of the film. All 16 tracks provide a perfect backdrop to the grandness of the characters and their shocking antics.

Highlight

Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance was the backbone of the film, he was absolutely incredible.

Score: 8.8/10

Written by Chelsea Groth