Aggressive, unpleasant, The Wolf of Wall Street is a hard-to-take, hard-assed narrative based on the true story of one man’s rise to a wealthy stock-broker to his fall from corrupt grace.
As success follows success, a drug-fuelled Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio – The Aviator, The Revenant) loses control, spiralling downward as his desire for money and fame is replaced by a life that’s empty and destructive. It’s a dark, bacchanalian comedy that is so over-the-top that, in its three hour running time, cries out for a change of pace in what is an unquestionably superbly made but bloated indulgence.
Director Martin Scorsese (GoodFellas, Casino) knows his way round the material (this is a gangster film inside the system) and the cast – with Jonah Hill (21 Jump Street, Moneyball) as Belfort’s side kick never better – superb. But sometimes less is more.
Nominated for 5 Oscars in 2014 – best film, director, lead actor, supporting actor, adapted screenplay.
Rating: 63%
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