Martin Scorsese's directorial career has spanned no less than 4 decades, in which he has presented to audiences a rich array of powerful stories, enigmatic characters and simply scintillating cinematic adventures that are more than often unmatched. A man who possesses a filmography that speaks for itself, Scorsese knows no limits to his creations, and The Wolf Of Wall Street is one cinematic entry that will once again live long in the memory.
Based on the true life story of stockbroker Jordan Belfort, The Wolf Of Wall Street follows the young go-getter (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he heads into the bullpen and tackles one of the toughest and meanest industries known to man. Introduced immediately by cocaine-snorting, money-lusting Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey), Jordan soon finds himself at the heart of proceedings as he loses his job, but then finds his drive and determination resuting in his own company and a whole wealth of opportunities.
Banding together a team that includes best friend Donnie (Jonah Hill), a man whose white teeth are as unsettling as his marriage to his cousin, his eccentric father (a brilliant Rob Reiner) and many others, Jordan finds excitement in robbing from people to line the pockets of himself and his employees. As the game reaps the ultimate rewards and Jordan marries the beautiful Naomi (Margot Robbie), the authorities close in, with Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) turning his sights on taking down Belfort once and for all.
If you're not too fond of violence, drug-abuse, sex and explicit language then you may want to turn away now; if not, then you're in for a treat of the Martin Scorsese masterpiece kind. We all know Marty has served up some truly remarkable films in his esteemed directorial career, and now the man himself serves up on a silver platter yet another to have you singing from the rooftops.
The praise for the film comes from every corner; at the heart is the man whose stretch without an Oscar is perplexing as it is infuriating, and once again Leonardo DiCaprio proves he is one of the best leading men in the business. Arrogant, lustful and outrageous, his portrayal of Jordan Belfort is one that will stick long in the memory. Whether it be his over-enthusiasm for cocaine, his constant sex drive or the moment he loses all control of his body in one of the most hilarious drug-fuelled scenes you will have ever seen, Leo has it all and deserves all the accolades under the sun.
That too can be said of his extremely well-crafted supporting cast. Jonah Hill strikes a chord yet again with both his dramatic and comedic credentials, director Rob Reiner proves he is just as good in front of the camera as he is behind it, and former Neighbours star Margot Robbie adds her name to the list of desriable actresses around today with a sultry and unforgettable performance.
It's not just the actors who are in top form here. The double-act of Scorsese and screenwriter Terence Winter are simply electric. While Marty whisks us frantically through the bullpen, has Leo talking directly to us down the lens, and serves up a multitude of simply breathtaking scenes, Winter, known for his work on The Sopranos, brings to us a script littered with the most profanities in one film, yet wholly justified, and combined with such slick and engaging dialogue that it really feels like you are in the thick of it.
The Wolf Of Wall Street, like its main protagonist, is a one of a kind beast; it's a dirty, filthy, foul-mouthed piece of work and the better for it!
Film Rating: 5 F's out of 5
There have been plenty of occasions where TV shows have taken the jump to the big screen, and for the majority, they have been adapted to provide comedy value. 21 Jump Street is yet another in that series. This time around, we take a Johnny Depp-starring show from the late 80s / early 90s and place Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in the lead roles.
Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) never got on a school. Morton was the stereotypical geeky kid whilst Greg was the all-star, all popular jock who could do no wrong. Years later they meet again, this time in the police force. Striking an unlikely friendship in the training process, the two soon become partners on the beat, albeit patrolling parks on their less-than-exciting bicycles.
After busting some drug dealers but failing to read them their Miranda rights, the pair are sent to 21 Jump Street to take part in an undercover case in which they must pose as students in order to infiltrate a drug ring going on within the pupils. Heading back to school soon brings up some old memories for both but things don't quite pan out as they expect, where the expression 'times are a'changing coming into play to the max.
As odd pair-ups go, the joining of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum appeared as odd casting as there has been in some time. Fortunately though, appearances can be deceiving and 21 Jump Street provides us the audience with one of the most entertaining on-screen double acts to be seen for a long while. Hill provides us with his stereotypical geek with ultimate ease and Tatum, not known particularly for his comic acting, steals the show as the popular high school figure grown to be as non-intelligent as would be expected.
Include into the proceedings Ice Cube revelling in playing an overly-stressed and unflinching Captain Dickson, a hilarious turn from Rob Riggle's gym teacher and some other masterfully placed roles (most notably a cameo from the legendary Johnny Depp, who incidentally starred in the TV show of the same name), and 21 Jump Street ticks all the boxes for characters who are both memorable and enticing.
Riddled with crass language, stereotypes galore and finger pointing at every possible moment, 21 Jump Street is hardly politically correct but this is what makes it so fun. Its boldness is astounding and even goes to the lengths of even poking fun out of itself, something few films are brave enough to do these days. Putting together a great double team and some superb supporting roles, it's quite simple to say that 21 Jump Street is one of the funniest films to grace the screen in recent months. Laugh-out loud glory.
Film rating: 4 out of 5 F's
