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Sex, drugs and flying midgets are the order of the day in The Wolf of Wall Street. Scorsese’s latest cinematic outing charts the rise and fall of a man who was undoubtedly the real-life Gordon Gekko.
Working alongside established screenwriter Terence Winter, Scorsese meticulously constructs this telling story of corruption by focusing on Jordan Belfort and his absurd lifestyle throughout the lengthy three-hour running time.
The legendary director also continues to delve into dark territory by capturing the ugliness of American greed as well as glamourising the perks and cons of being a rich man.
While it may be difficult for some of us to root for these bizarre individuals who begin and end the film like money-grabbing scoundrels, Marty deserves credit for making them fun to watch in their humourous escapades.
Though it never feels like an outright comedy, the film does provide some of the funniest scenes of recent times as Winter’s masterful script relies on witty dialogue exchanged between the characters that are worthy of a Scorsese feature.
Like his previous work on Goodfellas and Casino, he incorporates narration exceptionally well in various scenes ranging from Belfort breaking the fourth wall to his contrasting mind-games with business associates.
Through these moments, credit must go to veteran editor (and Scorsese collaborator) Thelma Schoonmaker for producing more excellent work in the cutting room as she uses her experience to cut and merge these scenes tenaciously.
The focus on excessive partying are also moments to savour as we look on in disbelief at some of the antics that some of these characters get up to such as the previously-mentioned midget-tossing and full-blown sex scenes.
But, it’s the use of drugs, which bring out the biggest laughs particularly in one riotous sequence, which sees Belfort mistakenly take some out-of-date lemon pills.
The following ten minutes produce hysteria for the audience as we cringe at our main man crawling along the floor in “cerebral palsy mode” as he tries to get home.
Leonardo Di-Caprio’s ability to create this kind of physical comedy is refreshing to see as he delivers a momentous performance as the charismatic yet deceitful Belfort – a role that recently won him the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical.
Whether he is engaging us with his motivational speeches or making us loathe his character’s wild ways, Di-Caprio deserves huge plaudits for his commitment to playing flawed yet fascinating individuals in what is a career-defining role.
But although he dominates the film, his co-stars also leave their mark even with limited screen-time. Sharing some fabulous chemistry with Di-Caprio, Jonah Hill continues to expand his work outside of frat-boy comedies with his stellar turn as the buck-toothed Donnie who spends his scenes getting high on cocaine and plunging into sexual activities.
A final mention must go to the inspired casting of sexy Australian actress Margot Robbie as Jordan’s gorgeous yet feisty wife Naomi.
Coming a long way from her days in Neighbours, Robbie’s breathtaking and luminous appearance keeps us transfixed on her the entire time as she seduces both Jordan and her satisfied male viewers whilst maintaining a well-suited Brooklyn accent.
More than just a pretty face, she produces a stern and sympathetic performance as a woman who struggles to cope with her husband’s erratic behaviour.
However, Wolf does have its problems when it comes to the ‘epic’ side of things.
Scorsese’s decision to make it the longest film of his career does sometimes feel like a bloated viewing experience as it becomes hard to sit through scenes such as Belfort’s lengthy speeches which are fun to listen to but get repetitive and boring towards the end.
The final half-hour also lacks the emotional impact that we have come to expect from other Scorsese films like Goodfellas. It becomes difficult to sympathise with Belfort’s eventual fate as the lighter elements are replaced by a more weightless conclusion that lacks the gravitas of Henry Hill’s fate.
But although it pales in comparison to Scorsese’s more superior work, Wolf of Wall Street is as riotous a cinematic experience that you’ll see in a long time and crucially benefits from a career-high performance from the flawless Leonardo Di-Caprio.