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| Me on The Wolf of Wall Street red carpet |
The Wolf of Wall Street was without a doubt my most anticipated film of 2014, and as a life-long fan of Leonardo DiCaprio you can only imagine how thrilled I was to attend the London premiere for the film last night! Although unfortunately director Martin Scorsese wasn't in attendance at the premiere, nor did my luck extend to actually meeting the God that is Leonardo DiCaprio, I had a brilliant time and couldn't believe that one of the biggest stars on the planet, one of my idols, was stood just a mere two feet away from me.
On top of all of the excitement of the night, I am pleased to say that The Wolf Of Wall Street lived up to my expectations and then some as Scorsese and DiCaprio united for the fifth time to make yet another cinematic masterpiece.
Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), The Wolf of Wall Street documents Belfort's corrupt rise to a multi-millionaire stockbroker who lives a life of sex, drugs and excess. By 1998 the FBI are on Belfort's case with suspicions of security fraud and money laundering, which leads the film to a climactic and unpredictable conclusion.
At three-hours long, The Wolf of Wall Street managed to hold the same high-quality throughout with powerhouse performances, great direction and an intense and entertaining narrative, all cleverly matched with comedic undertones that made the 180 minute run time fly by. Every scene is fast-paced and exhilarating to watch and the audience are not given the opportunity to get bored or lose interest in the story as just when you think that it might be starting to die down, Scorsese throws in another curveball; be it an unexpected scene of DiCaprio writhing around on the floor, off his face on drugs, or a sudden party with booming music and such extravagance and shenanigans it would put Gatsby to shame.
On top of all of the excitement of the night, I am pleased to say that The Wolf Of Wall Street lived up to my expectations and then some as Scorsese and DiCaprio united for the fifth time to make yet another cinematic masterpiece.
Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), The Wolf of Wall Street documents Belfort's corrupt rise to a multi-millionaire stockbroker who lives a life of sex, drugs and excess. By 1998 the FBI are on Belfort's case with suspicions of security fraud and money laundering, which leads the film to a climactic and unpredictable conclusion.
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| Leo & Margot introducing the film at the premiere |
All in all, the film is a steady flow of entertainment and shock tactics as Scorsese steps out of his comfort zone to make a film almost incomparable to his other major crime movies through the heavy use of black comedy and glossy cinematography; making The Wolf of Wall Street shiny and artificial-looking, miles away from Scorsese's usual gritty thrillers but appropriately reminiscent of Belfort's lifestyle.
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| Leonardo DiCaprio gives another winning performance |
Unsurprisingly, Leonardo DiCaprio gives yet another show-stopping performance as the corrupt, anti-hero Jordan Belfort and proves that over years in the industry he hasn't lost his sense of humour as he delivers some brilliantly hilarious scenes, which you can just tell were performed with good banter and Leo's tongue firmly in his cheek. DiCaprio's voiceover carries the film as it keeps the audience up to speed with what is going on and even though you may know absolutely nothing about stocks or Wall Street, the voiceover cleverly tells you just enough for you to understand the criminal activity that is making them so rich, without being patronizing or taking up too much time.
Despite DiCaprio's powerhouse performance, the relatively humble supporting cast held their own and were just as fascinating to watch as the leading man. Shunning the possibility of fading into the background against a Hollywood superstar, Margot Robbie, who played Belfort's long-suffering wife Naomi, Jonah Hill, playing Belfort's best friend Donnie, and the rest of Belfort's various friends, foes and accomplices helped bring The Wolf of Wall Street to another level of entertainment. The entire cast had a great connection which showed through their on-screen rapport as the expletive-ridden dialogue bounced between the characters as though they weren't actors portraying a character but old friends for whom the conversation came naturally and realistically.
My only criticism of The Wolf of Wall Street comes with the film's very final moments. The few scenes prior are a pulse-pounding mix of violent, domestic disputes, suspenseful 'will-he-won't-he' interrogations and a wicked turn of events which all feels like it is leading up to a mind-blowing climax that in fact turns out to be a little bit underwhelming. Being based on a true story leaves Scorsese relatively powerless when it comes to how Jordan Belfort's story ends, however, the ending felt a little bit sudden and left me wanting more. A want that was only intensified when the film's credits started rolling without any of your closed-caption summaries of what became of Belfort and the rest of the characters that are typical (and expected) of film's that are based on true life stories.
All in all, The Wolf of Wall Street is an exciting, entertaining and exhilarating watch. A three-hour action-fest that is full of excessive lifestyles, great performances and big laughs, ensuring that Scorsese and DiCaprio are back exactly where they belong: firmly at the top of the game.
★★★★✯
The Wolf of Wall Street is out nationwide from 17th January!
Despite DiCaprio's powerhouse performance, the relatively humble supporting cast held their own and were just as fascinating to watch as the leading man. Shunning the possibility of fading into the background against a Hollywood superstar, Margot Robbie, who played Belfort's long-suffering wife Naomi, Jonah Hill, playing Belfort's best friend Donnie, and the rest of Belfort's various friends, foes and accomplices helped bring The Wolf of Wall Street to another level of entertainment. The entire cast had a great connection which showed through their on-screen rapport as the expletive-ridden dialogue bounced between the characters as though they weren't actors portraying a character but old friends for whom the conversation came naturally and realistically.
My only criticism of The Wolf of Wall Street comes with the film's very final moments. The few scenes prior are a pulse-pounding mix of violent, domestic disputes, suspenseful 'will-he-won't-he' interrogations and a wicked turn of events which all feels like it is leading up to a mind-blowing climax that in fact turns out to be a little bit underwhelming. Being based on a true story leaves Scorsese relatively powerless when it comes to how Jordan Belfort's story ends, however, the ending felt a little bit sudden and left me wanting more. A want that was only intensified when the film's credits started rolling without any of your closed-caption summaries of what became of Belfort and the rest of the characters that are typical (and expected) of film's that are based on true life stories.
All in all, The Wolf of Wall Street is an exciting, entertaining and exhilarating watch. A three-hour action-fest that is full of excessive lifestyles, great performances and big laughs, ensuring that Scorsese and DiCaprio are back exactly where they belong: firmly at the top of the game.
★★★★✯
The Wolf of Wall Street is out nationwide from 17th January!
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Related Article: The 5 Oscars Leonardo DiCaprio Should Have Won By Now
Related Article: The 5 Oscars Leonardo DiCaprio Should Have Won By Now
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| I may not have met Leo, but here is me walking past him on the BBC News! |
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