The Wolf of Wall Street

Back from my long sabbatical, and what better way to bring the reviews back than with a Martin Scorcese film?

In the late 1980's, greed-obsessed stockbroker Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) sets up a boiler room to sell penny stocks to unsuspecting investors. After being motivated to pursue his dream of greed by his first boss, Mark Hanna, (Matthew McConaughey) Jordan recruits Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill) to set up his own firm: Stratton Oakmont. Through the ridiculous commissions he makes off each penny stock sold through his own firm, Belfort's wealth increases as exponentially as does his raging drug habit throughout the 1980's and into the 1990's.

A lot has been made about the film and its controversial subject matter including the unlimited usage of drugs and rampant sexuality. While this film does provide heavy doses of both, it also is a solidly funny dark comedy in what can best be described as, labeled online: "Scarface for douchebags".

At three hours, including credits, does the film feel longer than it needs to be? Yes. Martin Scorcese is a master storyteller, which this film continues to prove, but also, after a while, the film does become repetitive in it's showcasing of Jordan's excess. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker does edit the film to keep the pacing well maintained, but a story like this really doesn't need to have the running time that it does.

Leonardo DiCaprio is an actor who gets better as his career progresses. Though I am not sure this is his best role, my personal preference being The Departed, this is a powerful performance that only few actors could have pulled off as well as Leonardo DiCaprio does. Jonah Hill is solid, though his character seems to come and go only when the plot needs to, likewise FBI Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) who begins snooping into Jordan's firm and the legality of it.

Lastly, Matthew McConaughey's Mark Hanna shows up early and only for a brief time. Mark takes Jordan under his wing and gives him all the information required to be a millionaire: namely a reliance on cocaine. The small role is fun and a very enjoyable cameo brought forth by Matthew McConaughey, who continues to showcase himself as an actor who is continuously getting better. See Killer Joe or look at all the accolades he is receiving for his work in Dallas Buyer's Club to understand what I mean.

Is this Martin Scorcese's best film ever? Honestly, no. There are some problems with the film: length and a somewhat unfocused story being the main culprits. Is it the best film of the year? Again, no. There are films released in 2013 that I felt were better overall. Is this Martin Scorcese still near the top of his game? Absolutely. The Wolf of Wall Street may not be the best film of the year, but it is still a very good film and should be seen by all to watch Martin Scorcese and Leonardo DiCaprio fire on all cylinders.

7.7/10

Django Unchained

As the holidays come to a close, I bring you the most heart-warming film of the holiday season.

Obviously, there is plenty of sarcasm to that statement, but also, this is a story about a man looking to reunite with his true love. The man I speak of is Django, (Jamie Foxx) a slave who has been separated from his wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington).

German dentist-turned bounty hunter, Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz) finds Django deep in Texas and recruits him to help hunt down the Brittle Brothers. As Django has seen the Brittle Brothers and Dr. Schultz hasn't, Django proves to be useful. In return for Django's help, Dr. Schultz offers to train Django to be a bounty hunter, make him a free man and ultimately, help Django reunite with his wife.

After dispatching of the Brittle Brothers, Dr. Schultz makes good on his word. Dr. Schultz and Django are able to locate the whereabouts of Broomhilda. It is revealed that Broomhilda is owned by Calvin Candie, (Leonardo DiCaprio) a sadistic plantation owner who specializes in mandingo fighting at his plantation: Candie Land. Dr. Schultz and Django pose as men looking to buy a mandingo fighter from Calvin and hope to have Broomhilda thrown into the deal as well. The plan seems to sit well with everyone except for Calvin's house slave, Stephen, (Samuel L. Jackson) who does not trust Dr. Schultz or Django and might be one step ahead of our titular heroes.

Now, a lot of controversy has surrounded this movie regarding the use of the word "nigger". I wholeheartedly hate racism, and truly do not believe someone should be oppressed just due to their skin color. As Quentin Tarantino has set this movie in 1858/9, there are obvious reasons to believe that black men and woman would be referred to by this word. The word itself is not thrown out gratuitously and not there as shock value for the audience. The characters who utter this word use it as their normal speech. This is obviously not America's proudest moment in history, but it still is a chapter in the American history books.

Getting passed the elephant in the room, this is one of Quentin Tarantino's best movies. The film is filled with humor that (most of the time) hits the area it was aiming for. When not laughing, the violence in this film might turn some people away. Myself, I was actually glad to see blood squibs used instead of gaudy CGI blood (I'm looking at you The Departed and Expendables franchise). Granted some might think that the blood flow in this film may be excessive, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing actual blood fly. Maybe it was the fact it seemed like Paul Verhooven circa 1990 had filmed the more violent scenes? I don't know, but I enjoyed it immensely.

Two performances really stand out in this film. First, Christoph Waltz's Dr. King Schultz is a nice guy and a man of his word. In essence, Dr. Schultz is the nice guy version of Colonel Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds. He's charming when he needs to be and cold-blooded when the situation calls for it. Even more impressive, though, is Samuel L. Jackson's Stephen. What initially starts out as spoof of this type of role, turns much more complex. Stephen really is smarter than Calvin Candie and knows it. He has worked so long at Candie Land, that he is faithful to Calvin and would do anything to protect Calvin's interests and the interests of Candie Land.

The major issue I had with this film, and the only reason it is not my favorite film of the year comes from the editing, mostly regarding the ending. Django Unchained is a leisurely-paced film and moves from one scene to the next when it feels like it. The results of this leaves a lot of fat on the film. Most of the unnecessary scenes are entertaining and don't drag the film down much, but the scene involving Jonah Hill stood out as the first scene that should have been cut. This is an overly-long scene that doesn't add anything to the film (especially how it is placed into the middle of an action scene) and is there only for humorous reasons.

Besides that scene, the last 15-20 minutes of this movie finds Quentin Tarantino's script wandering aimlessly in search for an ending. Django is placed into an almost impossible situation to escape from. Once that is resolved, we are treated to Django being put into a situation that hasn't been mentioned before with a bunch of characters we haven't met (including an awful cameo by QT himself). Django then needs to get out of this situation and wrap up the remaining story threads. I am not sure how Quentin could have ended the movie, but I really wish he chose a different way then what he went with.

Overall, this is one of the year's best and shouldn't be missed just because of the controversy. See the movie and judge for yourself.

8.1/10

The List: Top 5 Martin Scorcese Films

As it is another slow weekend at the box office, I have decided to not hit the cinema, but instead compile another film list. Like always, this list is my opinion. As opinions differ, please feel free to add your own favorites or comments below.

So let's get to my personal top 5 films of Martin Scorcese.



5. Raging Bull

This one might draw some fire for being fifth on my list. To be honest, Raging Bull should not be on my list at all. I personally am not a fan of Raging Bull. The film tells the story of embittered boxer Jake LaMotta and his turbulent life in and out of the boxing ring.

The reason I say that Raging Bull should not be on my list is because I personally do not enjoy the film. I feel that Raging Bull has an extremely unlikable main character and tries to make you want to follow along with him on his journey in life. As I do not enjoy Jake LaMotta, I did not enjoy the journey that the script provided.

The reason that I put this film on my list, though, is the amazing performance by Robert De Niro and the great directing by Martin Scorcese. Robert De Niro truly earned his Oscar for this film, not even by shedding the 60 some-odd pounds for the role, but he dived head first and immersed himself into the world of Jake LaMotta. His performance as a tough loser is remarkable and a highlight in this film.

Besides Robert De Niro, the real reason for this film being as good as it is lies squarely with Martin Scorcese. Martin infuses life and style into what is a really depressing story. Shooting the film in black and white to the amazing boxing scenes, this is an amazing film in Martin Scorcese's resume. It has all the feel of a classic Scorcese film, (which it is) but the style shines through what is a very dark film.

4. Bringing Out the Dead

Martin Scorcese and writer Paul Schrader return to the grungy, dirty days of New York City made famous by them in Taxi Driver (see #2). Nicolas Cage stars as Frank Pierce, a New York City paramedic who is burnt out. He wants to quit his job, but finds himself stuck working over a weekend that will change everything.

This is a forgotten Scorcese gem. Bringing Out the Dead provides the dark, Taxi Driver-esque New York City with some comedic elements that can be traced to After Hours. Bringing Out the Dead takes place over 3 days, and teams Frank up with a variety of quirky paramedics (Ving Rhames, John Goodman, Tom Sizemore). During this time, Frank also finds solstice and comfort with the daughter of a heart attack victim (Patricia Arquette).

This film was entirely forgotten when initially released, which is a shame. Nicolas Cage provides, for the most part, a quiet, nuanced performance while being surrounded by urgent and crazy people and situations. This is not Martin Scorcese's best film, but provides everything you want in a classic Scorcese film. And when ranking Scorcese films, this should always be a high consideration.


3. The Departed

The film that finally provided Martin Scorcese with that elusive Oscar for Best Director along with Best Picture. The Departed is a crime drama about 2 Boston police officers; one who is an honest undercover (Leonardo DiCaprio) within the mob and the other, a corrupt cop (Matt Damon) working with the mob. Both police officers work closely with the Boston crime boss (Jack Nicholson).

Martin Scorcese returns to the crime genre, which he knows so well, and provides us exactly what you would expect from him. The film is filled with Scorcese archetypes: freeze-frames, jumps in time, Rolling Stones songs, etc. I really enjoy The Departed overall, but it does feel like a step down from Goodfellas. If Goodfellas had never been made, I think The Departed would be talked up almost as high as Goodfellas is today.

Unfortunately, I feel The Departed will forever be linked as a "gimmie" to Martin Scorcese as he should have obviously won at least one Oscar prior to this film. As it is, The Departed is a well made crime film with obvious Scorcese touches and anchored by the strong performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg.


2. Taxi Driver

Martin Scorcese and Robert De Niro take us to a darker version of New York City in Taxi Driver. Possibly Martin Scorcese's most renowned film, it tells the story of Travis Bickle, an unhinged taxi driver who becomes disillusioned with the city and its persons. After meeting an underage prostitute, Iris, (Jodie Foster) Travis takes it upon himself to try and help the girl escape her current life and her pimp (Harvey Keitel).

With recurring collaborator, writer Paul Schrader, Martin Scorcese places us into the darkest part of New York City: the 1970's. Full of drug dealers, pimps and lowlifes, we are exposed to every element that Travis experiences. We feel the environment and sometimes can even agree with how he feels. Though after a chance meeting with Iris, his mission in life becomes a psychotic version of saving Iris' life.

Robert De Niro shows us a transformation of a man sick with the life he is in all the way to a psychotic man who is willing to do anything to save a life. Along with the infamous, "You talkin' to me..." sequence, this film is filled with darkness and we are unfortunate enough to ride along with such an unhinged main character.


1. Goodfellas

Martin Scorcese's dark, violent and often funny tale of a lifetime in the mob. We follow Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) from childhood through his downfall in the Italian mafia. Along the way, he works for Paul Cicero (Paul Sorvino) and makes friends with Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci).

Based on the true story of the late Henry Hill, Martin Scorcese uses all the tricks he has learned through the years and uses them in this film. The usual freeze frames along with time jumps and more Rolling Stones songs lets you know your are in Martin Scorcese's world. We follow Henry, in this almost 3 hour film, from a curious teenager to a drug-addled gangster all the way through mob informant and the film never bogs down. This is a testament to screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi, along with Scorcese, who zip us through this world at a breakneck pace yet completely immersing us within this world.

Goodfellas is a culmination of all the best Scorcese traits. He continues to use his good luck charm, Robert DeNiro and also stays within the genre that he is best known for: the crime drama. This is a close to perfection film and, as Roger Ebert has said, is "the best mob movie ever".


I know people will wonder where Hugo, or The Last Temptation of Christ or Mean Streets might be. As stated, this is my preference and I certainly do like a lot more of Martin Scorcese's films. When it comes down to it, though, these 5 films are the films I identify with Martin Scorcese and feel are his best works.