The Wolf of Wall Street

Plot Summary: In the early 1990s, Jordan Belfort teamed with his partner Donny Azoff and started brokerage firm Stratford-Oakmont. Their company quickly grows from a staff of 20 to a staff of more than 250 and their status in the trading community and Wall Street grows exponentially. So much that companies file their initial public offerings through them. As their status grows, so do the amount of substances they abuse, and so do their lies. They draw attention like no other, throwing lavish parties and their staff when they hit the jackpot on high trades. That ultimately leads to Belfort featured on the cover of the Forbes Magazine, being called "The Wolf of Wall Street". With the FBI onto Belfort's trading schemes, he devises new ways to cover his tracks and watch his fortune grow. Belfort ultimately comes up with a scheme to stash their cash in European bank. But with the FBI watching him like a hawk, how long will Belfort and Azoff be able to maintain their elaborate wealth and luxurious lifestyles?


This film howled hard and loud for my attention, it turned up everywhere I went and when I eventually caved in to the pressure, I was astonished by the extravagant pleasure it gave me. I knew to expect something great as it was a Leonardo DiCaprio film, but I didn't expect it to become my favourite of his films. I liked it better than Titanic and that's saying something. The 180 minute long film was enthralling and gripping throughout the very lengthy film. I thought I'd need an intervention for it, like a half-time with football, but I was too intrigued to stop. Not many long films like that have that sort of effect on me. I had to take a break with interstellar, but not this.

DiCaprio plays the essential role of Jordan Belfort (who is based on a real character), this character transforms from the modest man with a self-contained wife, to a lying, cheating drug abuser with his gleaming yacht and more gorgeous wife, Naomi (Margot Robbie). His major successes grows as does his "wolf of wall street" reputation. He makes his fair share of enemies and finds himself some more admirers. He does not hesitate to take drugs in front of his small children nor does he do anything to hide his foul-mouthed utterances. He is a strangely likable man, you know you shouldn't like him, because of the dangerous business he involves himself in, but for some implausible reason, you just love this man. The energy he brings to those around him is something to be acknowledged with admiration. It's motivational. It's wonderful. It's beautiful.

The speeches he expresses to his staff are very aggressive and forceful, but you listen to them religiously, preaching as if it were an inspiring and galvanising thing that the whole world could agree on.

The ending couldn't have been more wondrous. That memorable hook in the beginning where Jordan asks a man to sell him a pen he pulls from his pocket and then restarting that phase at the end. That was really something. 180 minute it might be, but it was 180 minutes that were worth my time (barring the scene with the very gay men, that was disturbing as hell).

IMDB: 8.2