Film Review: Scorsese’s ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ a Deliciously Gluttonous Inspection Into Our Demons

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Average: 2.3 (3 votes)

CHICAGO – No matter how painfully bad it may be, I never walk out of a screening. It’s a professional rule I’ve set and keep it at all costs. But with Martin Scorsese’s latest stroke of genius, I experienced a kind of pain I don’t usually wrangle with: the survival of my bladder.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 4.5/5.0
Rating: 4.5/5.0

I don’t even recall it being as much of an issue with the 3.25-hour “Schindler’s List,” but for the 3-hour “The Wolf of Wall Street,” I just almost didn’t make it. Even though it was a mad rush to the bathroom the second the credits hit, thankfully the true story of Jordan Belfort kept me completely distracted and entertained at the behest of my bodily needs.

StarRead Adam Fendelman’s full review of “The Wolf of Wall Street”.

But really, folks. Take care of your bladder before it starts and don’t drink. This movie is long, and while you’ll enjoy most of its 180 minutes, it does feel a bit too lengthy and should have gone back to the editing room. Scorsese is addicted to each frame, and just like the greed his leading man exudes, he seems unable to cut back some scenes that should have been.

Scorsese has again teamed up with his golden-paycheck lead Leonardo DiCaprio, which over the past decade he has done every few years. The duo last wowed audiences in 2010 with “Shutter Island” and before that did so with 2006’s “The Departed,” 2004’s “The Aviator” and 2002’s “Gangs of New York”. Each film has been nominated for or has won at least one Oscar (except for “Shutter Island”). The only major film Scorsese has done during that time without DiCaprio is 2011’s “Hugo”.

“The Wolf of Wall Street” stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Favreau, P.J. Byrne, Jon Bernthal, Jean Dujardin, Joanna Lumley, Cristin Milioti, Christine Ebersole and Shea Whigham from director Martin Scorsese and writer Terence Winter based on the book by Jordan Belfort. The film, which has a run time of 180 minutes and opened on Dec. 25, 2013, is rated “R” for sequences of strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language throughout and for some violence.

StarContinue for Adam Fendelman’s full “The Wolf of Wall Street” review.

Margot Robbie and Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street
Margot Robbie is Naomi Lapaglia and Leonardo DiCaprio is Jordan Belfort in “The Wolf of Wall Street”.
Image credit: Mary Cybulski, Paramount Pictures

StarContinue for Adam Fendelman’s full “The Wolf of Wall Street” review.

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