By JASON BECK
The Wolf of Wall Street (R18+)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Jonah Hill.
Director: Martin Scorsese.
TOO early to call the movie of the year?
Then you obviously haven’t seen The Wolf of Wall Street yet.
Believe the hype. This cinematic slab of pure distilled awesomeness will knock your socks off.
To describe this movie as hugely entertaining does not do it justice.
It tells the incredible, freaky tale of Jordan Belfort, whose shady stock dealings saw him rise and fall, make and lose millions, and end up in jail.
And what a ride it was. An innocent young stockbroker is soon suborned, debauched and totally corrupted on every conceivable level.
Belfort’s twisted take on the American dream is a travesty, and the movie tacitly endorses his behaviour. This is no cautionary tale.
It is a dazzling catalogue of excess, beautifully scripted and acted. Di Caprio has never been better, and Australian Margot Robbie makes a stunning debut.
The Wolf’s world is a male one, and this is man movie magic. The language, the humour, the sex – the ‘R’ rating is well-deserved.
The fiercest criticism you could make of this movie is that it might – and I say might – be 15 minutes too long – and bear in mind this is a three-hour film.
Scorsese, the master film-maker, has created a masterpiece of taut storytelling, visual excesses and sparkling dialogue.
Run to your nearest cinema and gorge yourself on its perfection. You’ll thank me.
– Jason Beck
