Skip to main content

Movie Review - The Wolf of Wallstreet (2013)

Every time Martin Scorsese directs a film, no matter what it's about, it is something to be on the lookout for. Same can be said for Leonardo DiCaprio as well, and when the two collaborate on a film together the chances of it being a great film are even higher. With The Wolf of Wall Street, Scorsese and company put together one of the most rambunctious and off-the-wall comedies in recent years. The story, which is based on a book of the same name, follows Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) as we watch his rise to a wealthy stockbroker to his fall involving crime, drugs and corruption.

This marks the fifth time Scorsese and DiCaprio have worked together on the same film and this one is certainly different than the rest. We usually don't see comedies from Scorsese, or DiCaprio for that matter, but they manage to put together the best comedy of 2013. Clocking in at just under three hours the film does overstay it's welcome by about fifteen minutes but that really is the only gripe I had with this film. The sheer absurdity throughout each scene along with the great performances and brilliant direction are what make this so entertaining.

To my surprise I found myself laughing throughout the majority of the film. So many memorable scenes are still stuck in my head from Matthew McConaughey's humming song to the discussion of a midget toss to DiCaprio and Jonah Hill's reaction to a strong drug they take that is easily one of the funniest scenes I've ever watched on film. Much of the zaniness is due in part to some great comedic performances by almost everyone involved. Leonardo DiCaprio not only proves once again how great of an actor he is but also how great he is at being a comedic actor as well. Jonah Hill once again shows more acting range here as DiCaprio's right hand man. Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler and Jon Bernthal all turn in some good performances as well. We also get some hilarious performances from Matthew McConaughey and Rob Reiner in smaller roles.

There really isn't much else I can say about the film other than it's fantastic. It's always great to see a director do something a little outside of what he normally does. Sure we've gotten plenty of rise and fall films from Martin Scorsese but hardly any of those were comedies so it's great to see him step a little out of his comfort zone. You've got to give the man props for making something so completely over-the-top and downright hysterical.

Verdict: It goes without saying that The Wolf of Wall Street is a fantastic film. Great direction as usual from Martin Scorsese, great performances all around, especially from Leonardo DiCaprio, and the constant hilarity made this what I would call the best film of 2013.

Rating: 9.5/10

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Gorge (2025) | Review

  2025 | PG-13 | 127 mins | Directed by Scott Derrickson The Gorge follows Levi (Miles Teller) and Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy), two operatives that are hired to protect opposite sides of a mysterious gorge. Only being told that the gorge is considered to be "the opening to hell" both Levi and Drasa have no idea what they are in for. While protecting each side of the gorge, no contact is allowed between the two. Once the evil within starts to emerge, the two must come together to do whatever they can to survive and not let the evil escape. Director Scott Derrickson is mostly known for films in the horror and thriller genres. He has dabbled in the sci-fi area as well with films like Doctor Strange and the 2009 version of The Day The Earth Stood Still. In The Gorge, Derrickson and writer Zach Dean do a great job of blending multiple genres together. While there are elements of horror, thrillers and sci-fi present this also adds plenty of action sequences and, surprisingly, a romanti...

The Last Rodeo (2025) | Review

  2025 | PG | 118 mins | Directed by Jon Avnet Angel Studios is a relatively new studio that has set out to make more wholesome and family-oriented films. They clearly want to set themselves apart from the studios coming out of Hollywood and so far, they have had moderate success. The Last Rodeo is their latest feature film starring Neal McDonough, who seems to be becoming a mainstay for the studio. McDonough also co-writes the movie alongside Derek Presley and director Jon Avnet. Everyone involved clearly has the best intentions when making this movie, but, unfortunately, the execution is truly abysmal. Neal McDonough plays Joe Wainwright, a former rodeo star who had to retire after a several injuries. He spends his days working on his farm and trying to maintain a relationship with his daughter Sally (Sarah Jones). Joe learns that his grandson Cody has a brain tumor, the same type of tumor that his wife passed away from. Insurance will only cover so much of the surgery, but Joe a...

Final Destination: Bloodlines | Review

  2025 | R | 110 mins | Directed by Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein It has been 14 years since the last Final Destination movie hit theaters. Over the course of the 2000s, and early 2010s, the Final Destination franchise has been one of the most consistent horror franchises around. Featuring a straightforward storyline that allows for the filmmakers to be creative when it comes to killing of its characters, the franchise has been extremely popular since the beginning. Except for The Final Destination, the fourth movie in the franchise, every movie in this series has plenty of fun and entertaining moments of people getting killed in ridiculous ways. Final Destination: Bloodlines manages to continue the fun despite some negatives that keep it from reaching its full potential. This time around, the movie follows Stefani, a college student who is having nightmares about a tragic accident from the 1960s. Stefani discovers that these nightmares are of a premonition that her estranged gra...