The Wolf of Wall Street

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)

Such a sophisticated ode to money, sex, drugs, and immense debauchery that I almost forgot that, in reality, such people seem overdue for a good slap in the face. Yet even if I had spent the entire three hours merely studying the movements of the wolf king Leonardo DiCaprio in fascination, it would still have been worth it. Sharp monologues, the casting of prostitutes, or cerebral palsy may be the high points, but all throughout DiCaprio delivers a performance at the edge of human capabilities, which might appear casual and relaxed, but must have required a level of effort greater than ever before. Still, it is a shame that Scorsese expands the scope to an unnecessarily broad extent. Even my love for overdramatic stories that don't know when to stop being told could not prevent me from being even slightly bored by the last hour running a bit freely. Martin Scorsese and Leo yet again know how to do it and take unbelievable delight in their talent. And yet they miss absolute center, whether they make a buck or not, by a field. (01/23/2014)

The most fundamental American film since The Social Network. The film is not amoral, what’s amoral is its protagonist and modern society as a whole. He’s an asshole who ended up in prison (for a ridiculously short time), without friends and in debt due to his criminal behaviour and yet he has a relatively normal life, and there are still business people who take him as a role model and eagerly listen to his motivational lectures. Though Scorsese doesn’t portray the main character from an acceptable moral position (after all, Belfort himself is the narrator), after three hours of footage, a sensible viewer can make their own judgement, and thanks to this confrontation, a lively comedy becomes a very caustic satire. Excellent and brisk fun with pretty dark reverberations. Get over it. (01/16/2014)

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)

What surprised me, and not in a very good way, is that Scorece’s position towards the protagonist is neutral, as if he was saying that ripping people off, doing drugs and shagging whores is kind of fine. That's a pretty big problem for me, as a die-hard idealist. So far, none of Scorsese's films have lacked some kind of catharsis at the end, unfortunately I didn't get it here. I acknowledge the fantastic filmmaking, which on more than one occasion managed to elicit a relieved laugh from me, but otherwise I'd always prefer the stupid postmen who can only afford penny stocks over cunts like Jordan Belfort and his wolf pack. This farce is actually very far from a complex fresco telling something about something. (01/16/2014)