Film Review: The Wolf of Wall Street

*Cue Matthew McConaughey thumping his chest and humming proudly.*

Seeing Martin Scorsese's latest collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon, inspired me to revisit his filmography. As my movie-watching memories rummaged through his films that I have not recently seen, I decided to watch The Wolf of Wall Street for the first time since I last saw it in theaters almost 10 years ago.

The nowadays octogenarian auteur lets all these characters run rampant in a dog-eat-dog world where what goes up must come down. All the Caligula-esque hedonism and debauchery tailor-made for a modern-day capitalist society, specifically in the 80s and 90s, spare us no mercy.

Leonardo DiCaprio storms the stock market in the heart of New York City as the devilishly cocky but street-smart Jordan Belfort. Margot Robbie got her big break in this electrifying tale about greed, corruption, and the fun that masquerades it as Belfort's lush second wife, Naomi Lapaglia a.k.a. The Duchess of Bay Ridge. He and the rest of his cronies raise the bar for working hard and playing hard with no regard for who suffers financially. They may have that Robin Hood mindset in their field, but no one wins if you let money dictate your life and morals. During his opening narration while getting ready for a typical workday, Belfort brags about the variety of drugs that he takes throughout his busy schedule to keep him going. Eventually, he declares money as the ultimate drug after using a $100.00 dollar bill to snort up a line of cocaine. Watching this stockbroking maniac throw wadded up currency into a waste bin confirmed that The Wolf of Wall Street is going to be quite a dark comedy opus not for the faint at heart. 

I confess that I laughed during the most outrageous scenes. For instance, it is apparent that Jonah Hill is trying to go 200 miles an hour as Donnie Azoff, who is basically Belfort's right-hand man. The Oscar-nominated actor, who is known primarily for comedies such as Superbad and 21 Jump Street, wants to prove himself as a worthy actor to the great Scorsese and the rest of the cast. When he mocked and berated a bowtie wearing, naïve stockbroker by swallowing his pet goldfish whole in front of the whole staff, it had me in stitches. It is the outbursts like this confrontation that flex his drive. Oh, let's not forget the infamous Quaaludes episode that ends in a severely damaged white Lamborghini and a choking incident in a kitchen that parallels a Popeye episode. 

A few tears even dripped from my eyes during a couple scenes that hit me harder than I anticipated. In my opinion, one of the most disturbing scenes was toward the finale, and it was not even the most graphic scene in the entire film. During a heartbreaking, hostile argument between Jordan Belfort and his wife Naomi Lapaglia about her wanting a divorce, he scrambles for an escape from the sudden stress, tearing up a sofa cushion to retrieve a bag of cocaine and even attempting to drive away from his mansion with his young daughter. He's losing his grip—there is no way to resolve their fight. There is no more hope. That is how you know that he is nearing the end of the line.

On top of these reactions, my jaw hit the floor during the most bizarre and shocking moments that arguably weren't necessary to show. There is a Dante's Inferno vibe during the decadent house or yacht parties and extravagant celebrations at the corporate offices. I will spare you any further details at these festivities.

Of course, The Wolf of Wall Street is wildly entertaining and edited in a manner that makes its three-hour runtime feel like one hour. There is enough profanity that will make you want to wash your own mouth out thoroughly with a bar of soap. Most of the country-club-attending, golf-club-swinging good ol' boys, who watch this movie, will probably cheer and feel inspired, especially after Mr. Belfort's now iconic speech where he bellows and chants that he is not leaving the defunct Stratton Oakmont, Inc. when he originally planned on resigning.

At the end of the day, however, this movie should make you angry; at the very least, alarmed. Consequences do not magically vanish once the party stops. Everyone must face them eventually, no matter how much people try to dodge the law. Let us not forget about the poor people who fell victim to Belfort's relentless and illegal sales tactics. It is an ongoing theme that Scorsese never fails to address, especially when he concluded his more aggressive, hard-hitting movies such as Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and Casino. The Oscar-winning New York City native wants us to leave with the takeaway that there is never honor among thieves—never. 

Unfortunately, Jordan Belfort just got a slap on the wrist for his whirlwind adventures fueled by hard drugs, provocative sexual activities, and luxuries that the average person can only dream about, and all the stock fraud that spoon-fed him this lifestyle in the first place. Remember, The Wolf of Wall Street is a mirror that wants you to wake up and reevaluate your motives and ambitions in your chosen career, not an escape from reality that makes you feel invincible for an entire afternoon. When the final scene where Belfort is speaking at a sales seminar abruptly ends, it's like waking up with a hangover after a fun night out on the town. Sure, there are the crazy memories, but that searing headache will make you rethink certain choices that you made. When will society learn that pride comes before the fall?

Belfort's 2007 memoir of the same name as the film is the right template for this approach. By the way, there is no need to compare and contrast the book and the film.

They're both equally chaotic. 

The Wolf of Wall Street is available to borrow on DVD from the Jefferson County Library Cooperative, including all 16 active Birmingham Public Library locations.

By William Anthony | Librarian Ⅰ, Citizen Services