THE WOLF OF WALL STREET - 28th January 2014

Saw the highly anticipated 'THE WOLF OF WALL STREET' last night, and was not disappointed.

Another Martin Scorsese/Leo DiCaprio collaboration this film is a little of a departure for Scorsese featuring none of his trademark mafioso types from Hells Kitchen, none of the seedy New York underworld, no corrupt cops or psychotic killer taxi drivers . . . in fact we explore the opposite here - the real life story of stock brokering, Wall Street and excess in just about everything garnered from it!

Leo DiCaprio plays lead as Jordan Belfort, 'The Wolf of Wall Street' and delivers this role in spades. He is all over it and genuinely looks as though he's having a great time doing so (hardly surprising given the fast cars, massive motor cruiser, naked women, drugs, alcohol and excessive lifestyle he depicts and is constantly surrounded by on screen!) DiCaprio nails this role and once again proves he is one of the finest actors of his generation, and, he is very ably supported by an excellently cast Jonah Hill as willing sidekick and stock-brokering collaborator Donny Azoff, and a fine turn at the films beginning from Matthew McConaughey as mentor to Belfort, Mark Hanna. Watch out too for 'AbFabs' Joanna Lumley as the ageing very English Aunt, and Belfort's cash 'mule'! Great casting all round!

This film has laugh out loud moments of humour, and comedy pervades the whole three hour running time as more drugs are consumed and snorted, more alcohol washed down, more prostitutes hired, and more money is made to spend on fast cars, luxury motor yachts, big houses, bitter divorces, huge expense accounts, jet set international locations and all the trappings of wealth, riches and cash in bucket loads . . . and then more, more, more still! I would say that this film features more naked flesh than any mainstream Hollywood movie since Kubrick's 'Eye's Wide Shut' and it's here in all it's full frontal glory, and the 'F' word appears in just about every single sentence spoken (over 500 times in fact in this film) . . . no holds barred here either! Gordon Gekko, depicted of the same era and in that other 'Wall Street' movie, has nothing on this guy, but the similarity is that they both went to jail for their 'crimes' but lived to tell the tale. move on and be successful in another arena - for Belfort in the public speaking circuit and selling his 'Straightline' techniques.

Be prepared for the excessive running time at three hours, but it passes quickly as you become embroiled in the excess of the late 80's/early 90's and the ever changing array of drugs, T&A, dysfunction, greed and cash before you, and, a number of stirring dialogue moments delivered especially by the Belfort and Hanna characters. A must see film - Scorsese on top form and DiCaprio delivering convincingly once again.

As a foot note this is the fifth collaboration between Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio on film, with those other outings being 'GANGS OF NEW YORK' (2002); 'THE AVIATOR' (2004); 'THE DEPARTED' (2006); 'SHUTTER ISLAND' (2010) and now 'THE WOLF OF WALL STREET' (2013).



-Steve, at Odeon Online-