The Wolf of Wall Street
Overview
The Wolf of Wall Street is a 2013 epic biographical black comedy crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on the memoir of Jordan Belfort, a New York stockbroker who ran a firm that engaged in widespread fraud and corruption. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Belfort, and it follows his rise from a humble beginning as a trainee at a prestigious Wall Street firm on the day of Black Monday, 1987, when the stock market crashed and he lost his job. He takes a job at a penny stock firm on Long Island, where he learns the art of selling worthless stocks to unsuspecting customers over the phone. Belfort discovers that he has a natural gift for sales, and he starts his own firm, Stratton Oakmont, with his friend Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill). He recruits a crew of young, hungry brokers who are as unethical and ambitious as he is. Stratton Oakmont becomes a massive success, and Belfort lives a life of insane excess: drugs, prostitutes, yachts, sports cars, private jets, and wild office parties where dwarves are tossed at a bullseye. The film is a three-hour explosion of debauchery, with Scorsese and DiCaprio pushing the boundaries of what can be shown in an R-rated film. The famous sequence where Belfort takes a Quaalude and then crawls to his car, can barely speak, and then drives home while his car is destroyed is a masterpiece of physical comedy. However, the film also shows the consequences: Belfort becomes addicted to drugs, his marriage to his second wife Naomi (Margot Robbie) falls apart, and he is eventually investigated by the FBI, specifically Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler). Belfort refuses to cooperate and goes to prison, but he serves only 22 months and then becomes a motivational speaker, selling his story to the audience. The film is a critique of the greed and excess of American capitalism, but it is also a celebration of it, and Scorsese deliberately leaves the audience unsure whether to admire or despise Belfort. Leonardo DiCaprio gives one of his most energetic and committed performances, and Jonah Hill is hilarious and disgusting as Donnie. The Wolf of Wall Street was a box office success, earning over $392 million worldwide. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio, and Best Supporting Actor for Jonah Hill. The film is a wild, thrilling, and exhausting ride that leaves you both exhilarated and disgusted.
