‘WOLF’ FUN
Hill), a neighbor impressed by Belfort’s paychecks.
Later, at Belfort’s own firm, Stratton Oakmont, he, Azoff and their frat-boy-ish pals are as depraved as possible while making millions. When Belfort and Azoff aren’t hosting dwarf-tossing contests, snorting cocaine off hookers or crashing helicopters and cars, they’re smuggling dirty cash into Switzerland.
Belfort throws his energy into prurient activities the way most of us channel-surf. DiCaprio is up to the challenge. Playing a Wall Street Caligula in Canali suits, the actor never gives Belfort’s outlandishness any gravitas, making his debauchery even more depraved. It’s a rich, intoxicating performance that reaches a fever pitch whenever Belfort wields a microphone to rally his troops.
Hill is also great in a turn that feeds off his average-guy persona. Donnie always had a greedy monster in him, and once the genie is free, it can’t be bottled up — not even when Belfort’s accountant dad (Rob Reiner) warns of too much excess, or when an FBI agent (Kyle Chandler) starts sniffing around.
Scorsese, working from Terence Winter’s hyperverbal adaptation of Belfort’s memoir, tones down his peripatetic style. That’s smart — if the camera were as frenetic as Belfort, we’d all have heart attacks.
Aficionados of the filmmaker will follow the scent from “The Color of Money” to “Goodfellas” to “Casino” to here, but this dark comedy almost never shows a victim. Like the Stratton Oakmont guys, it’s in its own world. Only occasionally does it feel myopic. Another flaw: Margot Robbie, as Belfort’s sexy but screechy second wife, never finds her footing.
Still, this fast-moving film has a scene everyone will buzz about: a groggy fight on a Long Island lawn between Belfort and Azoff, both drugged out on copious amounts of bad Quaaludes.
Their scuffle is played, hilariously, like they’re at half-speed.
The scene recalls the slowmotion kitchen fight in Scorsese’s “Who’s That Knocking at My Door” (1967). Only here, it’s not a gang playing with guns — its irresponsible young men playing with innocent folks’ money.
We could say they get what’s coming to them, but Scorsese’s film definitely gives the thieves the last laugh.