Jordan Belfort (Leonardo Di Caprio – The Great Gatsby) recounts his life from the humble beginnings of a stock market junior to one of the richest stockbrokers in the world. The story covers his many indiscretions, his illegal dealings and his tax fraud along with the federal governments ground-breaking case against him.
The Wolf of Wall Street is a brave and throughly engrossing watch that hooks you in from the start. This is brave and ambitious filmmaking, with legendary director Martin Scorsese not pulling any punches when it comes to the hedonistic backbone of this story. In the hands of a lesser talent you’d be worried but Scorsese shows that he hasn’t lost any of his guile behind the lens with this unbelievable and fascinating story.
This is a film that will offend anyone with a sensitive disposition who approaches it in the wrong way. Given the subject matter, this was always going to be a movie that got feathers ruffled with its copious amount of sex and drugs. But The Wolf of Wall Street isn’t celebrating those vices, it’s merely (and accurately) conveying the high-risk/high-reward lifestyle led by its protagonist Jordan Belfort. It’s never glorifying the chaos but its also not sugar-coating it either – that should be applauded.
The casting of Jordan Belfort makes or breaks this film. Cast wrongly and you have a dud. Leonardo Di Caprio thankfully nails it and hands in perhaps his most demanding performance to date. Full of brave energy, this is a staggering performance that requires him to bring his A-game on so many levels. He plays the spoilt, rich businessman to perfection but he really brings the role home with his comedic performance. The sequence where he recounts the time he took outdated drugs whilst driving his Lamborghini to a country club is pure genius. It’s a physically demanding sequence that Di Caprio excels at and further cements his place as one of Hollywood’s true elite players.
The supporting cast are all superb too with Jonah Hill a particular joy as Jordan’s right hand man. Former Walking Dead regular Jon Bernthal does well as does Matthew McConaughey and Kyle Chandler. But perhaps the most memorable supporting turn comes from former Neighbours star and About Time actress Margot Robbie as the sumptuous second wife of Jordan. Her chemistry with Di Caprio positively scorches the screen.
The Wolf of Wall Street is the perfect cautionary ode to the excesses and extravagance of the late 80s and 90s. With biting satire, hilarious comedy and outstanding performances throughout, The Wolf of Wall Street proves that real life is indeed much crazier than fiction.
