Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption, and the federal government.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays real human criminal Jordan Belfort, part spray-tanned clairvoyant, part slick-haired carnival barker. Wielding seduction and lies, Jordan is a typical American grifter, who typically rises into the 1%. This allows for his insatiable appreciation for drugs to be filed with a $50 million dollar salary. He declares “on a daily basis I consume enough drugs to sedate Manhattan, Long Island, and Queens for a month.”
In typical Scorsese fashion, the voiceover narration orients us, gives us a “how we got here” act one. Senior broker Hanna (Matthew McConaughey) notices Jordan’s ill-fitting suit and he takes him to lunch. Hanna introduces Jordan to his primitive rhythmic chest-beating, the benefits of consistent sex, cocaine, and drinking numerous martinis at lunch. This brief scene was a highlight of the McConnaissance. His behavior almost distracts us from his most important piece of advice: that no one knows what is going to be successful or fall apart overnight.
After meeting and spellbinding some penny stockbrokers, Jordan meets Donnie (Jonah Hill), a fellow deviant with an equal taste for decadence and deviance. Over time, Jordan builds this small grift into a full-fledged brokerage house, he christens with the established sounding name Stratton Oakmont. Eventually, Jordan’s antics at Stratton Oakmont catch the eye of Federal agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler). Aboard Jordan’s mega yacht, the two adversaries share a brilliant scene involving a bribe and insider trading. When Jordan is offered a deal to avoid prosecution and keep his riches, he doubles down at the economic casino.
There is plenty of improvisation by the principal cast and the snappy screenplay by Terrence Winter (“The Sopranos,” “Boardwalk Empire”) lays out the various schemes and scams wielded by these financial parasites. All the while, Scorsese keeps the camera constantly moving, capturing NYC, Long Island, and other locations. Scorsese’s longtime editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, sets the tone with a musical, breathless pace making the 3-hour running time speed by.
The wealth disparity and 1%ers doing whatever they please have only increased and become more absurd. I remember when “The Wolf of Wall Street” came out, critics and talking heads incorrectly assumed it to be a celebration of Belfort’s character, of toxic masculinity. The writers are skewering the American male mindset and cultural malaise that results. “The Wolf of Wall Street” stands the test of time both for entertainment value and cultural criticism.
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