A Review Of The Wolf Of Wall Street Movie Review Sample

“The Wolf of Wall Street” is about the glorious uprising and eventual downfall of stockbroker Jordan Belfort. Based off a book by the real Jordan Belfort, director Martin Scorsese shows us what it was like to work on Wall Street in the 90s. Belfort’s story starts off as him being the typical self-made-man, beginning at the bottom of a tall ladder and being let go after his employer’s firm closed. He takes a job selling penny-stock for companies no one has heard of and quickly creates a niche allowing him to open his own firm, Stratton Oakmont. With commission on penny-stock being 50%, Belfort is rolling in money and quickly expands his company, his use of drugs, and the number of women he sleeps with. Many of his personal activities are illegal and some of his business is too. Belfort and his business partners conduct insider trading when Steve Madden decides to use Stratton Oakmont to take his shoe company public making 22 million dollars in a matter of hours. Since this money was illegally attained, Belfort and his partners need set up bank accounts in Switzerland and that is when things start to go wrong. During Belfort’s career, the FBI was trying to build a case against him but it wasn’t until a slip up from his offshore banker did they catch him. Belfort was made a deal for reduced jail time if he ratted out his friends. His wife leaves him, he loses all his money, and serves 3 years in jail. Then, he becomes a successful author an inspirational speaker.
The over-the-top masculinity and lavish settings are typical of Scorsese’s style. The dominant male point-of-view in regards to sex and violence can be seen in many other films. The mise-en-scene also has elements typical of Scorsese’s films. He likes long takes and wide shots to show the expanse of work put into a scene. The set designs, wardrobe, props, hair, and lighting contribute to the look and feel of luxurious living in the 90s. Belfort uses a pager. Scorsese even used what looks like an old video camera to film Belfort’s infomercials selling his business plan. The business buildings show the level at which Belfort is working, from the repurposed auto garage to the full floor office suite packed with screaming interns on corded phones. Stratton Oakmont’s office was much larger, more modern, and way busier than Mark Hanna’s (Matthew McConaughey’s) firm to show how much Belfort surpassed his mentor. Similarly with the settings in Belfort’s personal life, the parties got bigger, the hookers got prettier, and the drugs became more numerous in types and quantity all in conjunction with is success.
While the story itself is something of a cookie-cutter rise and fall from success narrative, it is told in a unique way. Scorsese switches back and forth between first person and second person point-of-view. Belfort narrates the film, and we see him experience events on the screen, but he also talks directly to the audience. It gives the illusion that Belfort is in control of his own story but Leonardo DiCaprio does a great job of showing Belfort spin out of control. This is a side of DiCaprio (Belfort) I’ve never seen before. Usually, Dicaprio is in more straight-faced and controlled roles. In this one, he gets to really let loose, but how else are you supposed to show a lude-induced stupor? DiCaprio still gets to show the suave and well-spoken side but he also gets to shout until veins pop out of his head and crawl around on the floor while drooling. That is a wide range of acting skills to have in one person. Jonah Hill (Donnie Azoff) is great as weird comedic relief but he his primary role was to be a foil for Belfort. This is not a new role for Hill but it is a much higher profile role than his other movies.
The stylistic elements and DiCaprio’s performance are what stood out in this film. The story was predictable and everyone’s role was fairly straightforward, but Scorsese brought a unique flair to it. I do not know if this would qualify as a period piece, but the film really felt like it was occurring in the 90s. The parties were lavish but they were believable. DiCaprio’s portrayal was also believable. Belfort had to be a confident yet paranoid man to pull off what he did. He also had to be indulgent and imperfect to have screwed it up. DiCaprio gave us the highs, the lows, and the crazy. Overall, I would suggest this film to certain friends, but it isn’t as universally enjoyable as other Scorsese films.