The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Nominated for:  Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture    I finally got around to seeing this little gem from last year's nominations.  It's a good thing, too, because the 2014 crop of hopefuls is being announced this Thursday.  I know I have completely fallen apart on my posting schedule, at least with regards to Mondays, and I appreciate the ones of you who have stuck with me despite my failures. 

Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) took Wall Street by storm using charm, nerve, and a host of illegal measures.  He built a virtual empire for himself and his friends and made more money than he could know what to do with.  He had a beautiful wife (Margot Robbie), houses, cars, a yacht, and a secret Swiss bank account.  And drugs.  So many drugs.  ALL the drugs, in fact.  Until the FBI, in the person of Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler), began investigating him for securities fraud.  Consumed by paranoia and rampant drug addiction, Jordan spirals down into an inevitable crash.

Martin Scorsese directed this film with an eye towards the absurdity of extreme wealth and handled it with his usual impeccable skill.  DiCaprio is good here, but I wouldn't say great.  I honestly think he gave a better performance in Django Unchained.  Margot Robbie was an incredible find, however, and I am pleased to see that her career is taking off.  She managed to give the character of Naomi --who could have been a stock trophy wife-- so much personality, just through her expressions.  It was absolutely delightful to watch her work.

Most of the movie is hysterically funny, with the only emotional turn coming near the end of the third act.  With a less capable director, that would feel tacked on and false but Scorsese manages to make it almost too real.  I had a friend who grew up in an abusive household who told me that it reminded her too much of her family, to the point where it took her out of the movie.  Without that peek behind the curtain, it would be easy to dismiss this as a drug-fueled crime caper, instead of remembering that this is a memoir.  Jordan Belfort did insane things but he is still a person.  Just a morally bankrupt one.