“The Wolf of Wall Street,” directed by Martin Scorsese, is a black comedy based on the life and career of former Wall Street mogul Jordan Belfort. The screenplay, written by Terence Winter, is based on the memoir Belfort wrote after spending several years in federal prison for white-collar crimes. The star-studded cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, Risa Aziz, Jonah Hill, and Rob Reiner.
The film begins on Wall Street in 1987. The young and handsome Jordan Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, recently landed a lucrative job as a stockbroker. His mentor, Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey), tutors him in the sleazy, sleazy lifestyle of Wall Street’s top power brokers. Despite his obvious talent and will to succeed at all costs, Belfort is fired after a stock market plummet decimates his company’s assets. Depressed and apathetic, he mourns the loss of him and considers a career change. Belfort’s wife, Teresa, played by Cristin Milioti, has other ideas. She helps him find a job at a small investment firm that deals exclusively in penny stocks. Before long, Belfort is one of the company’s top stockbrokers and becomes extremely wealthy. Not content with his success, Belfort eventually starts his own company with his friend Donnie Azoff, played by Jonah Hill. He hires his own parents to take care of the company’s accounting needs, and brings in several other friends as brokers. The company, Stratton Oakmont, is an overnight success. As money pours in, Belfort and his associates indulge in designer drugs, expensive prostitutes and luxury items. Belfort develops a major problem with cocaine and also abuses prescription sedatives. Blinded by drugs and power, he divorces his wife and promptly marries the beautiful Naomi Lapaglia, played by Margot Robbie. She is pregnant when they marry and soon gives birth to a daughter.
During preparations for his whirlwind wedding, Belfort learns that Stratton Oakmont has become the target of an FBI securities fraud investigation. He is determined to outwit the investigators and opens accounts in foreign banks to hide his assets. Stratton Oakmont employees regularly smuggle money into Switzerland and deposit it into secret accounts. This temporarily hampers the investigation, but the FBI eventually uncovers enough evidence to levy huge fines and heavy criminal charges against Belfort and his company. In a last ditch effort to minimize the damage, Azoff tries to convince Belfort to give up Stratton Oakmont. Belfort considers the idea but ultimately rejects it.
It takes the FBI another two years to arrest Belfort. Meanwhile, he has freed himself from his drug problem and hopes to rekindle his romance with Naomi. He negotiates with the FBI and agrees to help them gather evidence against Azoff and other Stratton Oakmont employees in exchange for a light sentence in a federal prison camp. The data he provides leads to dozens of arrests and convictions. Naomi files for divorce and a heartbroken Belfort heads to Nevada to begin his prison term. As the film ends, the recently released Belfort enjoys her work as an inspirational speaker in New Zealand.
“The Wolf of Wall Street” is a hilarious, irreverent, and unapologetic romp through the heyday of Wall Street excess. As Jordan Belfort, Leonardo DiCaprio is both likable and utterly repulsive, oozing a superficial charm that masks a reptilian disregard for the interests of others. Matthew McConaughey is surprisingly well suited to the role of Mark Hanna, Belfort’s first boss, who initiates him into a lifestyle saturated with illicit drugs, fast cars, and women on the loose. Hanna’s gloomy personality and manipulative skills make a strong impression on the adaptable young Belfort, who follows in the footsteps of his mentor with astonishing speed.
Jonah Hill is wonderfully sickening as Donnie Azoff, the pudgy former diner who becomes Belfort’s right-hand man. Beneath his plump, jovial exterior, Azoff is a devious and ruthless narcissist who happily encourages Belfort’s cocaine addiction and eagerly brings his talent for money laundering to Stratton Oakmont. It is a partnership made in Heaven. With Azoff’s help, Belfort becomes a voracious adrenaline junkie who pursues business deals and beautiful women with equal abandon.
This three-hour movie gets going, offering little opportunity for the audience to catch their breath. His pace only increases as Belfort, increasingly drugged and power-mad, flies across the globe in private jets, yachts, and luxury cars, ripping off the IRS and dodging the FBI. His eventual arrest is almost a relief, both to the audience and to Belfort himself. Only after the arrest can he stop, reflect and think about his actions.
“The Wolf of Wall Street” doesn’t sugarcoat the legendary indulgences of Wall Street royalty, and also refuses to glorify them. He simply presents Belfort’s memories with all of his egregious behavior, leaving the judgment to the audience. This entertaining cautionary tale is often funny, always outrageous, and is an excellent reminder that absolute power causes absolute corruption.
