The Wolf of Wall Street
Dir: Martin Scorsese
2013
*****
If you are going to make a film about greed and excess, you've got to use the same levels of greed an excess to match. The Wolf of Wall Street is Martin Scorsese on steroids. He has taken all of the elements people love of each of his films and has put them all in one place. It's part Taxi Driver, a bit Mean Streets, an essence of The Departed, a whole chunk of Goodfellas and a refreshing slice of After Hours about it. I'm afraid it knocks Oliver Stone's Wall Street out of the water somewhat although Wall Street didn't have the same hindsight to be fair. This is the Scorsese/Di Caprio partnership at its best. It's also Thelma Schoonmaker's best work to date although this is the first Scorsese film she hasn't been nominated for, what the hell is that about? The whole production is faultless, the 3 hour run time flies by, it could have been longer to be honest. This is a director, one of the greatest ever, in fine form. If Scorsese has any influence at all in Hollywood then I hope other film makers note the originality, pace, creative indulgence and punchiness and make their films accordingly.