The Wolf of Wall Street Trailer

[Betonblck]

Leo saved what would have been an otherwise terrible movie. We never really got a sense of what they actually did. They spent so much more time on the drugs, hookers, and long speeches and hardly any time on the actual substance of his life, how he was making his money. Even the FBI investigation, they didn't spend time on what the guy was being investigated/convicted for.

The ratio of time was like 95% on hookers/drugs/boiler room speeches, and 5% on what he did and his life.

I think that was the whole point...There were various points in the movie Leo would be speaking to the audience about some aspect of wallstreet and then midway through the sentence just retract his statement and go on to talk about the parties, the drugs and excess. This movie wasnt about how to make money, but more like what you can do when you make money.

Here's the thing though, they had plenty of opportunities to add more substance to the film but for example they spent like 30 minutes on the lemmon scene that just dragged on and on. They could have developed his relationship or lack of relationship with his wife/kids. They could have delved more into the Steve Madden situation and the FBI investigation.

However, they decided to spend the majority of the movie beating you over the head for 3 hrs of repetitive hookers and drug scenes. If the movie was just supposed to be about "what you can do when you make money", then they should have shortened the run time to maybe 1.5 hours.

 

[denni5themenace]

i really don't know what else you guys wanted them to go into.

how they sold the stocks? the entire beg. of the movie was about him doing **** in the grey area with the penny stocks/pink sheets
steve madden? they went over him and donnie owning majority of the stock and inflating the stock price
money laundering and having 'ratholes'
the movie did an adequate job of going into the illegalities jorden belfort was a part of

 

[brkfstchampions]

I'm looking forward to watching this movie this weekend! You guys got me all hype about it now!

 

[incredibleev]

This aint winning no damb awards but Leo's performance might be my favorite of his all time. 

Amazing movie that will get rewatches from me for a long, long time. 

 

[naponapo]

Dope flick. Seemed a bit too long, especially around the middle, but overall great. Leo was amazing in it. Maybe my favorite role of his ever (contender is his Romeo in R+J).

 

[ecruteakcityboy]

Just got back from seeing it and SON!

I don't even know where to begin

Leo was spectacular. My favorite scene has to be when he announces that he's stepping down but changes his mind. It was beautiful and it really touched my soul.

Got to give Jonah props too. I was cracking up so hard at the whole marrying his cousin situation and when he begins to whack it at the party.

Oh and the Yacht seen with the FBI agents x x
"I'll have one of these girls lick caviar off my balls"

Margot Robbie :x

CEREBRAL PALSY STAGE

It was an awesome movie that has plenty of re-watchability (sp?)

Some scenes were a little drawn out like some one else said. I kind of wish McConaughey had more involvement in the story and the same goes for Jordan's first wife. Overall though this movie is AMAZINGLY COOL.

 

[uncalled4boy]

McConaughey was amazing, probably my 3rd favorite character, he had like 12 mins of screen time but was so influential

Pretty Much Planted The Seed For All Of The Things Leo Did.

 

[am1x90xnike]

Here's the thing though, they had plenty of opportunities to add more substance to the film but for example they spent like 30 minutes on the lemmon scene that just dragged on and on. They could have developed his relationship or lack of relationship with his wife/kids. They could have delved more into the Steve Madden situation and the FBI investigation.

However, they decided to spend the majority of the movie beating you over the head for 3 hrs of repetitive hookers and drug scenes. If the movie was just supposed to be about "what you can do when you make money", then they should have shortened the run time to maybe 1.5 hours.

It was a three hour movie, there are things they could have went deeper into

A. They could have built up his relationship with his wife and kids and how that effected them

B. They could have went deeper into the story of the FBI agent

C. Could have played a little bit more with the Donnie character. He felt like he was just another character but  he was the number two the whole time.

I get that it was told from his perspective and it was true to the story, doesn't make it a good story.

Good story and good movie are different things, good stories draw you in, good movies hold your attention.

There is a reason this book didn't make many "best sellers" lists.

Still loved the acting and the over the topness of it all, overall it was fun...simply a fun movie.

 

[youngdoc]

If you have kids, not sure how the scene towards the end of the film portraying he and his wife having "issues" re: their kids wouldn't make you "uncomfortable". To me that short scene seemed to last 15 minutes. Painful. I didn't mind the film, but sometimes certain things are better left not shown or implicated versus depicted..... just my .02

Seriously though, if I actually thought through it I could think of 10 films in last 15 years I would say are "better". Off the top of my head, Heat, Rushmore, Boiler Room, Blow, Thomas Crown Affair, Rounders, there are some others, but I just don't get how this movie enters the "classic" conversation.

I would say it's better than all of those listed except Heat and maybe Blow

I thought they balanced everything well.

I haven't read the book but it seemed like he only had superficial relationships with his wife and kids and there was nothing to delve deeper into until later.

There was a lot of drug use bc he was a drug addict.

I don't think hookers and nudity was overdone. They could have showed a lot more from the Vegas flight, the actual trip, the party where he met his 2nd wife etc

 

[macbk]

Pretty Much Planted The Seed For All Of The Things Leo Did.

Yup. McConaughey played the role of Mark Hanna, who was Jordan's mentor as he grew into the biz.

And to those who wanted more out of the FBI Agent: Why? What more did you want to see than was already seen; which was that he wanted to take Jordan down and had everything in the works to do so.

 

[needemjs1]

THE SCENE IN THE NURSERY

 

[am1x90xnike]

Yup. McConaughey played the role of Mark Hanna, who was Jordan's mentor as he grew into the biz.

And to those who wanted more out of the FBI Agent: Why? What more did you want to see than was already seen; which was that he wanted to take Jordan down and had everything in the works to do so.

He was easily replaceable. It felt so...unnecessary. They never really needed him in there, could have just had random no name/no face FBI agents. If he was the protagonist, they did a horrible job making him important.

In three hours we couldn't get a scene where he was piecing **** together, maybe some motivation to get Jordan in particular opposed to any other Wall Street criminal, cuz while Jordan was doing it, there were people doing it bigger, he could have went after them.

 

[denni5themenace]

He was easily replaceable. It felt so...unnecessary. They never really needed him in there, could have just had random no name/no face FBI agents. If he was the protagonist, they did a horrible job making him important.

In three hours we couldn't get a scene where he was piecing **** together, maybe some motivation to get Jordan in particular opposed to any other Wall Street criminal, cuz while Jordan was doing it, there were people doing it bigger, he could have went after them.

who on wall street was doing anything explicitly as illegal as jordan belfort?

they mentioned none of wall street TOUCHED the penny stocks. at the beg. of the movie, when jordan went to that small investment center, he was questioning the 50% commission and the guy already told him it's somewhat illegal and wasn't really regulated by the SEC

and jordan was both the protagonist and antagonist of this movie. i thought it was pretty clear that jordan was his own enemy. you root for him at first then slowly turn against him, and then at the end of the movie you realize you hate him.

and what else did you need to see from the FBI agent? dude pieced stuff together, yall saw the charts and timelines he created. the pictures of jordan's known associates. brad getting pinched but not ratting. jordan's PI giving him info about him, telling him hes a straight edge dude. etc.

like it seems as if you guys want some crime mystery drama

 

[youngdoc]

I think some of the dudes knocking it were the same Jimmy rustlers from the overrated movies thread

 

[am1x90xnike]

who on wall street was doing anything explicitly as illegal as jordan belfort?

they mentioned none of wall street TOUCHED the penny stocks. at the beg. of the movie, when jordan went to that small investment center, he was questioning the 50% commission and the guy already told him it's somewhat illegal.

and jordan was both the protagonist and antagonist of this movie. i thought it was pretty clear that jordan was his own enemy. you root for him at first then slowly turn against him, and then at the end of the movie you realize you hate him.

and what else did you need to see from the FBI agent? dude pieced stuff together, yall saw the charts and timelines he created. the pictures of jordan's known associates. brad getting pinched but not ratting. jordan's PI giving him info about him, telling him hes a straight edge dude. etc.

like it seems as if you guys want some crime mystery drama

Bearnie Maddoff, Ivan Boesky....a whole bunch.

Because I'm critiquing the movie, doesn't mean I didn't like it. But for three hours there are something's he could have did to make the story a little deeper. I mean I'm a amuck in Mo, but I've read/seem/heard enough I think I got some solid suggestions


1. Make it clear why this FBI agent wants to catch Jordan so bad, there were other people he could have went after, but he seemed to want Jordan...why?

2. What exactly was Donnie's role? I mean he doesn't seem to bring anything to the table besides Steve Madden, yet heeds the company to him despite the other dude always coming up with the plans

3. Go into hiw his actions were affecting his family. No matter what he may have thought of his family, they hinted at his wife being upset, could have easily gave the movie/Jordan a little more heart

4. If he was the protagonist/antegonist then make that clear, minimize the FBI agent even more...show him wanting to get out of the game...show how his lifestyle was killi g him, show the consequences...but that would change the character


Overall, this movie was a bro fest. It was fun to watch, the replay value is in seeing how fun their lives were. The focused on the outrageousness of Jordan's life, it hits its target audience on the money, but it hits everyone else over the head with it.

The character is one dimensional, he is the focus which makes the movie one dimensional...that's why it won't win any awards...the movie is about a cocky little kid taking Wall Street in the most fantastic legendary way...that's all there is to Jordan. That's competing with American Hustle...a small time crook thrust into the big league, super good at it but wants to go back to his lane...Saving Mr.Banks the story of Walt Disney...this smoker/drinker/womanizer who makes kids movies, the guy who can have anything but bends to the will of a stubborn old women, not for price but for understanding.

Like real talk...this story isn't good enough to beat those movies out...and I could go on.

 

[water]

Still need to see this

 

[cronicmolemolereturns]

Blow is so overrated.

 

[denni5themenace]

man, i dont know. i thought all of your suggestions were addressed in the film

1. in that time span, who was doing anything as illegal as jordan and got caught? boeksy got caught up in the 80s and maddoff didn't get caught until 2008
dude had the huge article written negatively about him. "any press is good press". IIRC it wasnt until then was he getting looked at.

2. he started stratton with donnie and they were best friends.

3. there was no family life. i thought it was made clear that his wife was only with him for the money, hence the divorce when things got rough and he was about to get locked up

4. he was supposed to confess and step down from the company to preserve the company and have the FBI guy off his case. his pride was too much and he subsequently didn't step down. then the hammer got brought down.

 

[Betonblck]

You are on the money.

You hit on all the main points for why it just isn't a great story, which makes it not a great movie, especially for a 3 hrs movie.

 

[am1x90xnike]

Agree to disagree.

1. There were dudes doing it bigger that got caught around the same time Micheal de Guzman for example, a little research will tell you, even in the movie Jordan comments in the people doing it bigger than him. Why was he so important, past him being a criminal, they dance around the agent.

2. I know the started together, but I was still blindsided by Donnie getting the lead, he never showed financial expertise, outside of Steve Madden. The way it was portrayed, 'rugrat' was next in line...Donnie seemed more like a tagalong

3. He spent a good amount of time trying to get her, left his old wife. She never seemed like she was there for the money, at least I didn't get that from her scenes...when she lost him it wasn't because he lost the money, they didn't even bring it up when she said she wanted a divorce...toile it clear it only took one line 'your not taking my money' he yelled about the kids not the money.

4. But he did end up stepping down...he did end up giving up...he ended to movie with 'I almost forgot I was rich' (which was brilliant btw) they could have showed more internal struggle, you saw how the drugs messed up his life, but he never really addressed them because they never hurt him that bad.

Idk, maybe I'm dense, maybe it went over my head, maybe I didn't catch a lot if the themes...he should have made it a little more clear for those of us who are slow is all I'm saying.

Good movie still, really fun...not award worthy.

 

[301216baller]

loved it

 

[calikev34]

hill's performance > leo's

boiler room > wolfie

leo in django / catch me if you can / gangs of ny > this

i dont get the praise for this flick
blue is the warmest color, only god forgives, spring breakers were better films that ive seen this year.
heck maybe even prisoners, trance, mud, & place beyond the pines


this was gatsby on coke and pills. with hotter girls

 

[hymen man]

springbreakers?

only god forgives? (i'm a huge gosling/refn fan but that movie was a bore)

i'm not saying wolf is the best of the year, but compared to those two it's miles better, of course imo.

 

[00david00]

really enjoyed the film, long but not a drag

wasn't glorifying what he did IMO

sometimes you just think about how different life is for the insanely rich, the world has a lot to offer, gotta be able to experience it.

 

[calikev34]

springbreakers?

only god forgives? (i'm a huge gosling/refn fan but that movie was a bore)

i'm not saying wolf is the best of the year, but compared to those two it's miles better, of course imo.

a bore?
visually it was stunning, youd probably agree that the cinematography was just amazing. that alone could keep me engaged
it had a lot of silence (maybe why you thought it was slow) but i thought it used the same techniques as drive, and was just as effective


from what ive gathered harmony korine, through his work, he just wants you to feel something (look at gummo, or that movie about him starting physical altercations with ppl)
springbreakers was so visceral, and to hear the direct describe like a "drug experience" i thought that was just perfect

you can start at 1:47 to hear his point, but i'd watch all (its only 6 minutes) it's really insightful- they just let him talk! awesome interview

idk, to me these two films were similar in a lot of ways, so i'd understand why u might not like either of them