The Wolf of Wall Street - (December 25th, 2013): R
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Opening Weekend Box Office: #5 with $18,361,578
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $63,125,467
Gross Revenue: $63,125,467
Production Budget: $225 million
Director: Martin
Scorsese
Gangs
of New York, The
Aviator, The Departed, and Shutter Island; anytime Martin Scorsese and Leonardo
DiCaprio combine forces, the result is cinematic gold, so based on that history
alone, the announcement of their collaboration on The Wolf of Wall Street set the ball rolling on some huge
expectations. For all of his strong
performances, DiCaprio has been repeatedly overlooked for Oscar recognition, so
one of the first associations related to news of a Christmas-release Scorsese
project had to involve the hope that the talented actor would deliver a golden
statue-demanding performance. The
actor-director combination alone was more than enough to guarantee ticket
sales, but an equally-intriguing development related to the casting of Jonah
Hill, who shed the raunchy-comedy typecast in 2011’s Moneyball and now seemed to have developed considerable co-star
chemistry with DiCaprio. Given current
public perception of the financial market and the ever-expanding wealth gap,
the time was ripe for Scorsese and Boardwalk
Empire screenwriter Terrence Winter to deliver a stinging an unforgiving
narrative focusing on white collar criminal Jordan Belfort, who was convicted
for securities fraud and money laundering in 1998. The trailer looked fantastic and early
critical reaction acknowledged the overall quality of the film despite the
polarizing and controversial subject elements, so really, what wasn’t there to
love about the potential for The Wolf of
Wall Street?
Opening in 1987, The
Wolf of Wall Street introduces audiences to young and ambitious stockbroker
Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he begins his first day on Wall Street;
the wide-eyed professional receives some very dubious tips career tips from his
boss, Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey), shortly before he loses his job on
Black Monday. Searching for any
opportunity in a tight market, Jordan finds work in a small-time investor
center that deals in penny stocks, but soon enough, his aggressive pitch and
sales tactics earn him a sizable fortune.
After Jordan befriends his neighbor and fellow salesman Donnie Azoff
(Jonah Hill), the two decide to open their own firm, Stratton Oakmont, which
soon transforms into a billion-dollar company characterized by lavish parties
and questionable financial record-keeping.
Jordan soon embraces a lifestyle of drugs, prostitutes, and alcohol,
eventually leaving his loving wife for supermodel Naomi Lapaglia (Margot
Robbie), whom he subsequently marries and exposes to lavish amenities as his
financial empire grows. However, even
after moving a majority of his funds to a Swiss bank account to be laundered by
Jean-Jaques Saurel (Jean Dujardin), Jordan cannot escape investigation from the
FBI and SEC for securities fraud, especially since lead agent and straight
arrow Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) is determined to ruin the “untouchable”
white collar criminal.
Between its unhinged performances, its manic energy,
and it’s downright irreverent and hysterical tone, The Wolf of Wall Street is an immoral three hour thrill ride that
showcases the worst kind of behavior in the best possible way. It wasn’t much of a surprise to see DiCaprio
flex range across the dramatic scenes, but this was the first instance I would
ever classify the popular star as funny…the scene where he overdoses on
Quaaludes is an undeniable riot of physical comedy that shouldn’t be missed. The supporting cast runs on all cylinders as
well, with Jonah Hill showcasing a growing cinematic maturity as he disappears into
a considerably complex character; while Matthew McConaughey leaves an indelible
mark despite not appearing beyond the first half hour. And let’s not forget Margot Robbie, who first
scorches onto screen as eye candy but then surprisingly holds her own against
the veteran cast as she continues to sizzle; I can only imagine how Google
Searches for the newcomer exploded after opening weekend. Add-in the expert pacing and direction of
Scorsese, and it is no surprise that I absolutely adored The Wolf of Wall Street, and upon closer inspection, I think that a
majority of criticism crumbles.
It would be a true Martin Scorsese project if it
didn’t ruffle a few feathers after release, and The Wolf of Wall Street is no exception…polarizing audiences and
thoroughly disgusting more conservative viewers and critics. Make no mistake, this black comedy earns its
R-rating in spades, featuring the worst possible behavior that would result
from immoral business practices and unimpeded financial success, but really,
why would you expect any different from a Scorsese character study? Yes, the film sheds an ugly light on Wall
Street, but just because someone finds it offensive doesn’t change the fact
that white collar crime exists; Jordan Belfort was a criminal, he was punished
for his crimes, and no one should apologize for the fact that it was fun as
hell to watch. One cannot be faulted for
walking into a Scorsese project expecting a serious movie, but within the first
two minutes, it is blatantly obvious that this movie shouldn’t be taken too
seriously, so anyone offended needs to relax and just enjoy the mayhem. So, it may be offensive and crude, but
nothing about The Wolf of Wall Street
is anything less than utterly brilliant filmmaking.
Some may be disgusted by the subject matter of The Wolf of Wall Street, but the only
thing that disgusts me is that this remarkably entertaining isn’t making more
of a splash at the box office, because it deserves to shatter records. Given the glut of five Christmas Day
releases, a fifth place debut of $18 million is nothing to sneer at…what a
shame that weaklings like 47 Ronin
and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
split the audience. Some potential
moviegoers may have been dissuaded by the well-publicized three hour running
time, but trust me when I say that you won’t feel drained or unengaged for a
second. To-date, this most recent
Scorsese-DiCaprio collaboration has only earned $63 million in ticket sales
against a $100 million production budget; and for such a strong movie to face a
potential loss is a travesty. Looking
forward, all I can do is encourage readers to head to the theater, pre-order my
Blu-Ray copy, and wait for both star and director to cash-in come Awards
Season.
Overall
Recommendation: Very High
