Jan 6, 2014

The Wolf of Wallstreet: it's a mad mad finance world out there


'The Wolf of Wallstreet' moves along the lines of Martin Scorsese's yesteryear classics Goodfellas and Casino as the narrative looks surprisingly old school. It is though an interesting watch at times thanks to a charming performance from DiCaprio who comes off convincing even in the most mediocre scenes. DiCaprio is oscar material and probably will go down as the best actor who has never won an oscar. Watch him in that scene where he delivers to his coworkers an engaging speech that ends with a refreshing twist. As is the case with almost all Scorsese films, the characters are all well written with the director capturing even the minutest behavioral detail. Yet, one gets a feeling that the film is way too long as some scenes look regressive and out of place. Oh yeah, then there's too much sex, vulgarity and coarse language to plant the belief on our minds that most wallstreet jobs would turn people insane party animals. Martin Scorsese chooses to follow a well established formulaic pattern, so there's nothing remotely new about the narrative. And hence 'The Wolf of Wallstreet' will go down as a delightful one time watch with no repeat value. Keep your expectations in check !