Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a ruthless, dishonest stockbroker in “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

This opens with Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio) ostentatiously reeling off a list of his various assets, riches, and vices: beachside mansions, private jets, sparkling sports cars and luxury yachts sit perilously alongside gambling, drug-taking, hookers and truly outrageous parties – all funded from fraudulent stock-broking scams. Told in a montage so fast it could give you whiplash, the whirlwind first five minutes are an apt introduction to both character and film. Belfort’s a man entirely driven by his addictions – sex, drugs, and the almighty dollar – and Martin Scorsese provides, with breathless energy, a deliciously ambiguous portrait of greed.

Martin Scorsese’s solid “The Wolf of Wall Street,” based on the true story of a white-collar criminal’s excesses, would have been even better if it weren’t so … excessive. As it is, the three-hour film bombards viewers with the main character’s frenzied sex and drug abuse until it’s not only tough to empathize with him, but it’s also challenging to care what happens to him. The movie is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, who is listed as a consultant on the movie and also makes a cameo as the host of an Australian television show. Belfort, played by Scorsese favorite Leonardo DiCaprio, is charming, smart — but not enough to stay out of trouble — and ruthless.

The movie, which is a fictionalized version of Belfort’s life, is creating buzz partly because of its highly adult material. Even for an R-rated movie, this is pretty intense stuff, so viewers who are not used to seeing graphic sex and drug abuse should be cautioned. If the movie’s three-hour running time had been cut considerably, the audience still would have a grasp of Belfort’s weaknesses and strengths. Not surprisingly, DiCaprio does an excellent job as the manic powerhouse: It’s fun to watch him break the fourth wall — turn to the audience and address it directly — in a few sequences with darkly comic tones.

This is solid entertainment.

Directed By: Martin Scorsese
Written By: Jordan Belfort, Terence Winter
Type: Drama

sridar.com – Score: 7/10.0