Martin Scorsese’s bold new film The Wolf of Wall Street totally bowled me over. The audacious flick tell the true story of Wall Street heavyweight Jordan Belfort and his rise and fall within the industry. Keep reading to see what I chose for my 5 Favorite Things about The Wolf of Wall Street .
5. Margot Robbie:
Going from small time Australian actress to having a prominent role in a Martin Scorsese movie must have thrown a lot of pressure Margot’s way but that seemed to only add fuel to her fire. Robbie’s role of “Duchess of Bay Ridge” could have easily veered into forgettable or inappropriately laughable territory. Fortunately, the actress handles her performance with just the right amount of silliness without ever seeming like a caricature. She’s not distracting and more importantly, memorable in her role.
4. The Lemmon Scene:
At the height of the film’s conflicts, Jordan and pal Donnie bust out a very special batch of Quaaludes (their supreme drug of choice) called Lemons that are supposed to be much more potent. I would hate to spoil any small surprises from this scene so I’ll just say that what follows is an apex of ridiculousness, which in context of the rest of the film, is quite a spectacular feat. What makes this scene so magical is its ability to combine absurd, even slapstick comedy with the plot’s main point of conflict. It’s quite brilliant on multiple levels and easily the funniest scene of 2013.
3. Jonah Hill’s Teeth:
I just can’t. For the first handful of scenes that featured Jonah Hill’s face I really couldn’t handle it. But of course, it’s not just the teeth that did me in. In the role of Donnie, Hill gives very easily the most impressive performance of his entire career.
2. Leonardo DiCaprio: I feel like almost everyone my age looks at Leo Dio as one of the greatest actors of his generation. Sure, he’s got the good looks of any of Hollywood’s leading men but he also has the incredible talent to boot. So take it as a powerful statement when I say that his performance in Wolf might be the greatest performance of his career. He completely commands the screen, probably more so than the real life Jordan was even able to do. Beyond scenes where he rallies his troops, Leo is also an outstanding physical comedian, who knew? His performance in this film is a must see for any fan.
1. Complex Morality: One of Wolf’s biggest criticisms appears to me to also be its most misunderstood message. Does a three hour film about the various forms of debauchery experienced by an all accounts douchebag glorify his actions? Well that might be one way to look at it. While Belfort does eventually go to jail for his illegal investing, he makes it out in good shape, writing two books and becoming a professional motivational speaker. But as the movie lingers on the faces of the audience of one such speaking event, I can’t help but feel like we are meant to take a look at ourselves in those moments. Not only does society continually let disgusting and egregious white collar crimes go largely unpunished, but there is also a weird moral conundrum at the heart of a sleazebag like Belfort. A large chunk of what makes the movie funny even when the main characters are completely deplorable is the fact that there is a twisted appreciation that can be attributed to their success in doing quite literally whatever the fuck they want.
From a young age, I’ve always questioned authority and convention. I don’t really know where my rebellion stemmed from but it’s something I’ve carried with me all my life. I learned early on that the real idea of the American Dream is a complete sham. It starts with the concept that you can ‘make it’ and do whatever it is you love but what the dream really entails is getting a shitload of money. I don’t put a lot of stock in being rich but I understand how important it is. I don’t want to have a lot of money so I can buy stuff. I would however like to have it so I didn’t have to worry about it. At least, that’s how I feel right now that I’m broke and on my high horse. But what if I was making Jordan Belfort money? There is a tantalizing angle to this hypothetical situation that there could be some abuse of power. I truly doubt I would succumb to any of the craziness displayed in the film but it doesn’t surprise me that someone else would take life to that extreme. It is sort of the American ideal, is it not? I think Scorsese is exploring that and attempting to get us to think about our own measures of success. There is plenty to chew on long after the credits disappear.