NEW ON DVD, BLU-RAY & STREAMING – THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET 

****

Review by Paul Preston

Are you ready for some “Holy s---!”? ‘Cause I said that a number of times during Martin Scorsese’s ode to ‘80s and ‘90s mega-super-excess. Leonardo DiCaprio gives a balls-out performance as Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker whose first day on the job was one of the 1980s worst stock market drops, and whose last day on the job put him in jail. The in-between is some of the craziest debauchery ever put to screen.

I liken this film to “Natural Born Killers”. In that film, Oliver Stone had to pull out all the stops to portray the media as the enablers that they are, and in “Wolf”, Scorsese had to pull out all the stops to show the outrageous behavior of the rich, privileged and really, really dumb who came up in the stock trade business. Notable moments include Matthew McConaughey in another role from the “I’m sorry I did romantic comedies for ten years” apology tour as a seasoned trader who teaches Belfort the ropes. Also Margot Robbie as the hottest thing walking acting her ass off, holding her own with an on-fire DiCaprio. Plus, something I’ll just call “The Quaalude Scene” – a scene for the AGES.

There’s a mock outrage going on over this film that I can no longer abide. People are claiming the moral high ground by condemning “The Wolf of Wall Street” as glamorizing the irresponsibility of these stock traders. True, their exploits are dangerous, but they LOOK dangerous. Anyone who thinks the reckless behavior of these numbskulls who get arrested for doing it is glamorized is watching a different film than I am… And not for nothing, this is the funniest movie of the year.

Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Release Date: December 25, 2013
Run Time: 180 Minutes
Country: USA
Rated: R
Distributor: Paramount Pictures