The Wolf of Wall Street

I guess I don't like movies where Leo is very rich and indulgent. The fact is that except for a few jokes in the style of The Hangover, it all seemed to me like an opulent cocaine carnival, hiding quite a relevant (and fortunately very subdued) parable about the pernicious appeal of selling pens and a glaring paradox of sweaty balls in the subway, circumscribed elegantly in the last minutes. I appreciate that Scorsese accepts the player's perspective (and not the critique of the system) and does not push the viewer to disgust - Belfort is, of course, a repulsively attractive mediator of the world of speculation. However, the metaphors of the brokerage community as a prehistoric tribe / sect are unnecessarily obvious (although the extravaganza is nice to look at). Also remarkable is the obvious "immorality" of the film, which actually calmly claims that a similar lifestyle is cool in a way - and Scorsese is, of course, right. If he wasn't, the Wolf would have nothing to eat. The best thing about the film in this regard is about 5 minutes, which the brokerage shaman McConaughey hums to a hypnotic rhythm. I have nothing to criticize it for at its core - it plays back the worn out notes confidently and without mistakes, it just didn't speak to me at all with its frenetic cadence. It’s the similar problem of "numbness of sarcasm" that I had with Gavras' more engaged film Capital. At least The Wolf of Wall Street brazenly says, with a smirk, what we all know about the speculative nature of capitalism, admittedly unreliably and without unnecessary rhetorical phrases. And it doesn't burden you with unnecessarily complicated details at all. Why would it, when another reduction is waiting around the corner? But the film still takes 3 hours, in which I did not find enough stimuli. Of course, except for the cocaine, prostitutes, and those damn deceleration pills... (2014-01-11)

Fear and loathing in New York. Good old Scorsese remains true to himself, yet he’s rejuvenated through over-the-top decadent stylization, speech and, indeed, the content of individual scenes. It begins as a cynically satirical and amoral demystification of the American capitalist dream, not unlike There Will Be Blood. It continues as a pure junkie comedy on par with Trainspotting. And it ends with a variation on Catch Me If You Can. And as incompatible as these individual threads may seem, Scorsese's (and, in no small part, DiCaprio's) greatest achievement is that it all feels like one cohesive whole. This is also due to the fact that there isn’t a moment to exhale for three hours; at least for the duration of projection. After that, you have to be honest that even though there isn't a single boring or bad scene in it, some could stand being edited out. It also depends on whether you think that Scorsese is glorifying Belfort or that he is satirically doing the exact opposite. But damn it, it's such outrageous fun, with something for everyone; from freakin’ self reflection through its frickin’ cinephilic form to fuckin’ gut-busting scenes. (2013-12-27)

A three-hour long joyride full of sex and cocaine, cool and base at the same time, trying to hide behind the proverb “sow the wind, reap the whirlwind”. I enjoyed myself immensely and I’ll definitely watch this again, but I don’t consider one dramatic scene (with the daughter in the car) to be enough for a three-hour film. The Wolf of Wall Street has perfect catchphrases and is never boring, but it made me realize that this type of Scorsese movie (starting with Casino) is great to watch but won’t leave you with lasting impression. Shutter Island, dark and mystical, perfectly escalated, with a surprising, sophisticatedly ambiguous ending, is much closer to my heart, and I consider it Scorcese’s masterpiece. (2014-01-16)

To be honest, I was somehow speechless after I saw this movie. This film is a proper Scorsese, but on the other hand, it’s not something that I would be happy to remember. You see, the movie is a cruel reflection of the kind of society created by capitalism. That is of the kind of world we live in. And believe me, it’s not a pleasant sight. And that’s despite the fact that there’s plenty of fun and the acting performances are flawless. Having said that, I never want to see The Wolf of Wall Street again. Seeing naked reality is sometimes painful and I’m not able to accept such reality again. And the worst part is that it’s all based on real events. Nevertheless, there is one thing I have to admit. The guy the story was based on was a hell of a businessman. But that was probably the only thing he had going for him. (2014-01-24)

The most fundamental American film since The Social Network. The film is not amoral, what’s amoral is its protagonist and modern society as a whole. He’s an asshole who ended up in prison (for a ridiculously short time), without friends and in debt due to his criminal behaviour and yet he has a relatively normal life, and there are still business people who take him as a role model and eagerly listen to his motivational lectures. Though Scorsese doesn’t portray the main character from an acceptable moral position (after all, Belfort himself is the narrator), after three hours of footage, a sensible viewer can make their own judgement, and thanks to this confrontation, a lively comedy becomes a very caustic satire. Excellent and brisk fun with pretty dark reverberations. Get over it. (2014-01-16)