The day that Paramount announced the postponement of Martin Scorsese’s next big film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughney, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” they released a second trailer. As one of the most anticipated films of the year and an Oscar contender, this film tells the story of Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), a successful Long Island stockbroker, who later becomes convicted and imprisoned for laundering money and securities fraud on Wall Street. This film will be released on December 25, 2013.
What We Love: Leonardo DiCaprio jumps from playing the renowned Jay Gatsby, another Long Island man who made a fortune through bootlegging in the early 1920s, to the nonfictional Jordan Belfort, a criminal who gained his wealth from illegal actions as well. He exerts the confidence and shrewdness of a greedy, ambitious businessman. He knows EXACTLY how to play his game and even writes a script for his employees on how they should approach their clients. Despite the fact that he’s married, he doesn’t seem to object to sleeping with a “friend.” When he asks the question, “The real question is this: ‘Is all of this legal’?” he answers, “Absolutely not.” Meanwhile, Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughney star as his sidekicks. Jonah certainly seems to add a comedic laugh when Jordan’s dad, Rob Reiner, yells at them for spending $26,000 on dinner. Apparently, it was just on the sides.
What We Don’t: Although this story is about Jordan’s rise and fall, what worries us is that his selfish desires and heedless behavior will offend many members of the audience. After they learn that the FBI is onto them, we see bills being packed away, with thousands of bills covering a whole stripper’s body and others being thrown off of a boat. Yes, it makes sense for Jordan to pompously say, “they’re going to need to send in the National Guard to take me out because I ain’t goin’ nowhere,” but the story isn’t just about money, so we have to hope that this film doesn’t lose its authenticity and become about the one thing that can’t buy you happiness: money.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pabEtIERlic
