#4 on my top picks

#4 on my list is The Wolf Of Wall Street

PLOT

Jordan Belford, a middle class stockbroker realizes he can make 50% commission selling penny stocks. After a crash in the market he’s let go and creates his own firm, Stratton Oakmont, and joins wall street. Belford (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and his cronies learn how to steal from millionaires and quickly attract the attention of Wall Street and the feds. Covering the high points that led to his demise the movie covers a whole range of illegal activities, sex, money, and the rush of staying right in front of the FBI.

SHOTS

The directors used a lot of wide shots to show wealth, growth, and general chaos and medium shots when characters are talking (as shown in the video above) or some important action or movement is going down, such as when Belford is high and trying to get in his car. I always wondered if the directors had opted to use actual yachts and rent houses out but most of the scenes were keyed in after, as well as the characters in them. As you can see in the video below, many of the wide angle as well as closeup shots are keyed in, with structures like the boat half made for close up shots and the other parts of the boat computer generated.

INTERPRETATION

Wall Street is a very secretive place and not a lot of information about whats going on inside the buildings is let out. I’ve read many articles about illegal actions that are overlooked because there are huge amounts of money getting paid. Although I don’t know for certain if this is true it’s always an interesting thought, and with a true story like this it makes you wonder if the same type of people aren’t still making shady deals today. I also dream of one day going on a big yacht like the one in the movie or travelling to beautiful places like Belford did. He and I are very different in the cases that I don’t have an interest to do drugs, cheat or lie. I did enjoy watching how much Belford seemed to love his job and hope I find something I like as much as he did, but a bit more on the legal side.

EVALUATION

The movie does a great job at stretching your imagination and explaining the story of Belford. Without the amazing performances of DiCaprio or Hill the movie would have tanked, and I’m surprised that Leo didn’t get an Oscar for the movie. With a run time close to three hours long you really get to delve into the details surrounding Belford and his life and at some points you can step into his shoes and see how he’s feeling. The director makes Belford look like he’s addicted not only to drugs but to the feeling of being on the other side of the law and that can give the viewer a rush when watching the movie. There are some great VFX shots that make your heart race such as when Belford almost crashes his helicopter in his back yard. I recommend this movie for anyone who wants a stretch of imagination as well as a great way to see into the life of someone who’s broken the law and become super rich in real life.