Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) was a LONG ISLAND lowlife and seller of questionable stocks. Belfort is not (portrayed) as a bad guy as his friendship with Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill) seems genuine and touching. The problem is this film is operating in the shadow of Stone's Wall Street and it shows. It stylistically and aesthetically references the film. But even more pathetically, Scorsese thinks he can outdo his student by loading up on the fucking and cursing. I kid you not. The nudity and sex scenes are shocking. This might SEEM brave but understanding the production process one gets that Scorsese made a money decision to try to be as controversial as possible to guarantee an audience. Big mistake.
Wall Street had its faults but its basic logic was over corruption and a boy being seduced by the devil. Jordan is just a lucky punk that likes hookers and money and ... likes hookers and money ... likes hookers and money and so on and so on.
Though, to be accurate, the entire film should be called PILLS: A CAUTIONARY TALE. Drug pills turn up at the beginning, middle, and end of this film. I thought I was watching a documentary on rich people on drugs most of the time. There is ONE great, ridiculous, scene that demonstrates why Leo is indeed an actor. But for the most part there's too much overacting and overacting for no purpose or reason.
Scorsese is a smart, good director but far from being the best director alive - this film demonstrates he is pathetically far behind either his students - Stone - or his peers like Cuaron, Del Toro, or even Nolan. It's as if putting in so many naked models and hip hop music made this lousy Goodfellas Two something other than it was.
This film is NEVER boring. But, then, it also isn't any good either.
There's a fascinating tale to be told. But this is isn't it. It's just a bizarre addition to the growing porn-inspired cinema polluting cinema for over a decade now. A worthy addition to that unworthy tradition.
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