Disclaimer - This review has some high level analysis/spoilers so read on at your peril
Martin Scorcese's The Wolf of Wall Street is a biopic about the rise and fall of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a stock broker who made untold millions through stock fraud. The narrative of the film follows Belfort and his team of brokers at Stratton Oakmont, as they merge an uncanny sales ability with the debauched Wall Street financial industry to create what can possibly be understood as a hedonistic monstrosity. An orgy of drugs, alcohol and sex ensues ends up leading to severe consequences...but consequences affecting who? The key question asked by the film is around who are the winners and losers of all this mayhem. I'm still not clear.
The Wolf of Wall Street is a quintessential piece of Americana, highlighting the power of greed and lust in shaping the modern of American dream of the late 20th Century. Belfort and his team of brokers are beneficiaries of a broken financial system that encourages the swindling of the average joe, and their success results in hedonistic experiences akin to the orgies of Ancient Rome. The debauchery is unbelievable and almost cartoonish, leaving the audience questioning whether such madness is even possible.
This story is pulled off magnificently by the outstanding cast, led by virtuoso performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, and supported by awesome turns from Rob Reiner, Matthew McConaughey and numerous others. Scorcese is on form as usual, with strong visuals, editing and script merging well to produce a well paced and engaging film in spite of its 3 hour running time. On the negative side, I did feel the film was almost too lighthearted for its subject matter, and didn't leave the audience much room to feel angry at Belfort and his team for swindling the masses. I think the film asks tough questions about the values of the financial industry and the status of the modern American Dream in light of the capitalist anarchy at play.
The bottom line is that the Wolf of Wall Street is so fun, so thrilling and so inspiring in the worst possible way that its will probably be the the Scarface of the 21st Century, inspiring a new generation to aim for the total debauched greed that it glorifies.
Highly Recommended.
