The Wolf of Wall Street

A three-hour long joyride full of sex and cocaine, cool and base at the same time, trying to hide behind the proverb “sow the wind, reap the whirlwind”. I enjoyed myself immensely and I’ll definitely watch this again, but I don’t consider one dramatic scene (with the daughter in the car) to be enough for a three-hour film. The Wolf of Wall Street has perfect catchphrases and is never boring, but it made me realize that this type of Scorsese movie (starting with Casino) is great to watch but won’t leave you with lasting impression. Shutter Island, dark and mystical, perfectly escalated, with a surprising, sophisticatedly ambiguous ending, is much closer to my heart, and I consider it Scorcese’s masterpiece. (01/16/2014)

To be honest, I was somehow speechless after I saw this movie. This film is a proper Scorsese, but on the other hand, it’s not something that I would be happy to remember. You see, the movie is a cruel reflection of the kind of society created by capitalism. That is of the kind of world we live in. And believe me, it’s not a pleasant sight. And that’s despite the fact that there’s plenty of fun and the acting performances are flawless. Having said that, I never want to see The Wolf of Wall Street again. Seeing naked reality is sometimes painful and I’m not able to accept such reality again. And the worst part is that it’s all based on real events. Nevertheless, there is one thing I have to admit. The guy the story was based on was a hell of a businessman. But that was probably the only thing he had going for him. (01/24/2014)

The Wolf of Wall Street has rightfully become one of the most important events of the season. It accurately captures the atmosphere of a time marked by an economic crisis and surprises with the realization that not everyone tightens their belts equally during times of need and that human justice falls short when it comes to certain assholes, whose rhinoceros hides are evidently impenetrable. If nothing else, we will take revenge on them on the silver screen. The Wolf of Wall Street is reminiscent of a wild party, from which, aside from the exhilarating feeling of tasting forbidden fruit and crossing the boundaries of socially acceptable behavior, you will likely remember only a few shocking escapades and excesses after a few days. The film depicts a series of parties, revelry, drug trips, and an insatiable desire for wealth in a somewhat stereotypical and thus tiresome manner. It tells the story of a group of brokers who do not hesitate to destroy the lives of naive clients with offers of worthless stocks from obscure companies. The film is reminiscent of Lord of War and Trainspotting with its absence of moral dimension and final catharsis. In all three cases, we are dealing with scoundrels who ultimately succeed and get away with it, despite minor setbacks and losses. Scorsese proves that old age does not necessarily mean a loss of connection with modern cinema. Quite the opposite, as the same can be said for him as for vintage wines - the older, the better. He rivals Fincher in camera skills, enjoys crowd scenes, and effortlessly handles action sequences, such as sinking a yacht in a stormy sea. He varies the rhythm and slows down the shots, and a single detail can reveal more about his characters than any other director could describe in an entire film. A separate chapter is dedicated to DiCaprio's performance in the lead role. Villains are always more rewarding for actors. DiCaprio revels in the role of a cynical, unscrupulous businessman, delightfully showcasing his boundless hedonism, narcissism, and manipulativeness. It is said that when actors enjoy filming, the audience cries over their paychecks, and vice versa. This is clearly not the case here. Both DiCaprio and Jonah Hill clearly enjoyed the overdose scene, which is brilliantly comical and will likely become a revered classic among film fans. DiCaprio promises, seduces, bribes, and threatens, and above all, presents a study of a man obsessed with himself and navigating an endless drug trip. Despite the aforementioned, I have to give it the highest rating. The Wolf of Wall Street is like a hyperactive, self-centered child that persistently demands attention. Its coolness eventually becomes tiresome. Paradoxically, I realized that I would have enjoyed the film more with a shorter runtime and fewer gags. Overall impression: 85%. (01/22/2014)

I have a terrible urge to use profanity whenever I think of The Wolf of Wall Street. So for once, excuse me if I say Leonardo is a great fu*king actor, unrivaled in America after that performance. I may not be a fan of drug movies, but they just made something more out of it here. I'm just sorry that Matthew McConaughey didn't stick around a little longer, because his goofiness is really perfect. This movie is an addiction! 5 stars. (02/06/2014)

I guess I don't like movies where Leo is very rich and indulgent. The fact is that except for a few jokes in the style of The Hangover, it all seemed to me like an opulent cocaine carnival, hiding quite a relevant (and fortunately very subdued) parable about the pernicious appeal of selling pens and a glaring paradox of sweaty balls in the subway, circumscribed elegantly in the last minutes. I appreciate that Scorsese accepts the player's perspective (and not the critique of the system) and does not push the viewer to disgust - Belfort is, of course, a repulsively attractive mediator of the world of speculation. However, the metaphors of the brokerage community as a prehistoric tribe / sect are unnecessarily obvious (although the extravaganza is nice to look at). Also remarkable is the obvious "immorality" of the film, which actually calmly claims that a similar lifestyle is cool in a way - and Scorsese is, of course, right. If he wasn't, the Wolf would have nothing to eat. The best thing about the film in this regard is about 5 minutes, which the brokerage shaman McConaughey hums to a hypnotic rhythm. I have nothing to criticize it for at its core - it plays back the worn out notes confidently and without mistakes, it just didn't speak to me at all with its frenetic cadence. It’s the similar problem of "numbness of sarcasm" that I had with Gavras' more engaged film Capital. At least The Wolf of Wall Street brazenly says, with a smirk, what we all know about the speculative nature of capitalism, admittedly unreliably and without unnecessary rhetorical phrases. And it doesn't burden you with unnecessarily complicated details at all. Why would it, when another reduction is waiting around the corner? But the film still takes 3 hours, in which I did not find enough stimuli. Of course, except for the cocaine, prostitutes, and those damn deceleration pills... (01/11/2014)