Degrading
by
If you love the idea of spending three hours watching grown men fondle every woman in their work place, snort coke out of a prostitute’s butt and listen to vulgar dialogue almost every five minutes of a film -- then The Wolf of Wall Street is the movie to see this season.
Martin Scorsese’s mega film depicts the 1990s financial pillages by stockbrokers like real-life swindler Jordan Belfort. This con man -- played by Leonardo DiCaprio -- sold penny stocks to investors who never made a profit even though Belfort made millions off of them.
It’s apparent in the first moments of the movie that Belfort has no morals, no conscience and no regard for women. After latching on to his second trophy wife, Naomi (Margot Robbie), Belfort seems to have the perfect life -- attested to by his Long Island mansion, runway wardrobe and a boat that could substitute for a cruise ship.
But none of this is enough. When Belfort brings Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill) into his office staff they begin a crazy, unimaginable free ride of greed, drugs and debauchery. Even if one enjoys this type of film -- which I consider almost pure porn -- Terence Winter’s script itself comes across as one note. The crime is not new, the acting over the top (especially by DiCaprio and Hill), and the same scenarios run throughout -- drugs, excessive sex, profanity and some violence -- become way too annoying for a three-hour film where there’s no entertainment unless one is gratified by the destruction of other people’s lives.
(Released by Paramount Pictures and rated “R” for sequences of strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and profanity throughout, and some violence.)
Review also posted at www.reviewexpress.com.