The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

	Director: Martin Scorsese	COUNTRY USA GENRE Comedy/Drama/ Biography NORWEGIAN TITLE The Wolf of Wall Street RUNNING TIME 180 minutes
	Producer: Martin Scorsese Leonardo DiCaprio Riza Aziz Joey McFarland Emma Tillinger Koskoff
	Screenwriter (based on the book by Jordan Belfort): Terence Winter

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Jordan Belfort	Leonardo DiCaprio	½
Donnie Azoff	Jonah Hill	½
Naomi Lapaglia	Margot Robbie	½
Mark Hanna	Matthew McConaughey
Patrick Denham	Kyle Chandler	½
Max Belfort	Rob Reiner	½
Brad Bodnick	Jon Bernthal	½
Manny Riskin	Jon Favreau	-
Jan-Jacques Saurel	Jean Dujardin	½
Aunt Emma	Joanna Lumley	-
Teresa Petrillo	Cristin Milioti	-
Leah Belfort	Christine Ebersole	-
Captain Ted Beecham	Shea Whigham	-

Review

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio aren't simply telling us this story of Wall Street swindler Jordan Belfort – they're practically shoving it down our throats, with a seemingly uncritical conviction of how cool and fun it all is. That being said, the film does have its moments when DiCaprio's manic energy and the sheer audacity of the story elevate it above its otherwise moral dubiousness, runaway-train pacing, and long-winded, simplistic structure. But the insistent, showy storytelling will likely resonate mainly with younger audiences. In short, the filmmakers are a little too much in love with their protagonist and material. They may think they're giving him a critical treatment, but the mandatory moral reckoning towards the end feels perfunctory – a box ticked, rather than a genuine reflection. In the most elaborate of ways, Scorsese has wasted a good opportunity to create something unique out of a potentially fascinating story by raving too loudly about an essentially not-so-fascinating character.