In one of the most off-the-wall movies in recent memory, “The Wolf of Wall Street” gives audiences a seat in a sex-crazed, drug-fueled ride through shady deals, phony businesses and pump and dump investment schemes that skyrocketed nobodies to billionaires.

Just don’t expect for the film to explain how it happened, of course. The hugely hyped movie describes what limitless money can buy in one word: spectacle.

The film starts with a young Jordan Belfort, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, searching for a job on Wall Street. Early on, Belfort meets Mark Hanna, a high-up trader at the L.F. Rothschild firm. In a scene that changes Belfort’s outlook, Hanna, played by a uncharacteristically wiry Matthew McConaughey, tells Belfort that he should be most concerned about putting the client’s money in his pocket, instead of vice versa.

In terms of individual performances, DiCaprio is simply fantastic as the hedonistic and conniving, yet charming, Belfort. He is masterful both when in work, selling to anyone who would listen, and in play, partying harder and harder each night.

Belfort finds himself out of work after 1987’s Black Monday, one of the largest stock market crashes in history. After combing through newspaper after newspaper, Belfort finds an opening at a tiny Long Island place called Investor’s Center.

Investor’s Center is a far cry from the atmosphere that Belfort knew on Wall Street, but it is here that he discovers that he could make a fortune on selling penny stocks to unsuspecting investors. Belfort figures out that if he can oversell the value of tiny or unspectacular companies, he can make a profit off investors, especially if he gets a high commission from the sales he makes.

Belfort then rounds up his right-hand man, Donnie Azoff, played by Jonah Hill, and other friends — none of whom have experience selling anything other than drugs — and starts Stratton Oakmont Incorporated, his fraud brokerage company, out of an old abandoned body shop on Long Island.

From there, director Martin Scorsese’s tale of excess takes off, as the firm grows wilder at a pace even faster than their money-grabbing schemes.

Jonah Hill shows the remarkable potential he has as an actor, nailing a Long Island accent, obsessing over money and women, and going nuts while drugged up.

Scorsese puts debauchery in the forefront, with little person-tossing competitions, sexcapades and office drug deals, while only briefly mentions how Belfort whipped nobodies into all-star sellers. The movie keeps showing party scene after party scene, with DiCaprio narrating many of the crazier things that went on at Stratton Oakmont, until the FBI get suspicious.

The plot has its weaknesses at times. Both Belfort and Azoff, in addition to all of their employees at the Stratton Oakmont, are so focused on when and where the next high is coming from that the brilliant — albeit totally illegal — way they made millions is largely glossed over. Additionally, Belfort’s love interest Naomi is played by Margot Robbie, who fits the bill as trophy wife, but isn’t given much room to explore her character otherwise.

The film does, however, boast an impressive number of cameos from actors such as Spike Jonze, Jon Favreau, Bo Dietl and even the real Jordan Belfort himself.

Belfort’s inner circle, mainly represented by the supporting cast of Jon Bernthal, P.J. Byrne, Kenneth Choi, Brian Sacca, and Henry Zebrowski, creates a fun-loving atmosphere that supports the greater efforts of DiCaprio and Hill in their lead roles.

 

The chemistry between DiCaprio and Hill builds during the movie, through both serious and fun moments, and is one of the best revelations of the film. Scorsese consistently pushes the two to the limits of their respective physical and emotional abilities.

 

Both the strength of top billed cast and these appearances made the film enjoyable, though the crazy drug and stunt scenes made the movie drag a little.

Published on January 15, 2014 at 12:19 am

Contact Vincent: vtloncto@syr.edu