The Wolf of Wall Street Review
Joy Bennett
The Wolf of Wall Street is a huge movie. Three hours long, this is the true story of stockbroker Jordan Belfort’s rise and fall, based on his incredible 2007 memoir of the same name. In the capable hands of Martin Scorsese, the film evolves into an over the top mega movie: outsized, incredible, and controversial. And by the way, excellent.
Jordan Belfort, played as no one else could by Leonardo DiCaprio, is a hungry 90’s era stockbroker who swindles his way into a mega fortune, selling and hyping first penny stocks, then Blue Chips -- whatever it takes to pad his wallet. Jonah Hill is his sidekick, who he trains in the business. They embark on a life of outrageous luxury, swindling customers, drug consumption, womanizing, and sex.
But it may all come crashing down one day when the Feds, in the name of straight as an arrow Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) comes calling to investigate their practices.
DiCaprio plays another character in a long line of over the top types like Gatsby, Howard Hughes, and now Jordon Belfort. He also produced and developed the film, and does an amazing job. Yet I for one am left to wonder if he would just for the heck of it play a quiet, understated role. I’m sure he could do it, and do it well, but one does wonder if he’s making a career out of these types or is it just something in him that pulls him into these mega sized film roles.
It is awfully nice though to see the very likable Jonah Hill come into his own and hold his own against DiCaprio and Scorsese. He does a great job, and although this is a serious movie about serious abuses of the system, there are many hilarious scenes. Including one memorable scene where, spaced out on drugs, DiCaprio tries to drive his expensive sports car home from the country club. The physical humor he displays is awesome. I was laughing my head off.
Australian actress Margot Robbie plays Naomi, Jordon’s wife. She is stunning, with schemes of her own. She enjoys the luxurious lifestyle, yet punishes him ruthlessly for his womanizing. It’s an acting tour de force, as are so many of the roles here. She does a terrific job, and I’m sure come next March, Oscar will reward their efforts.
While the film is well done and another of Scorsese’s near masterpieces, it has generated some controversy about what some people see as glamorizing the scandalous practices of corrupt business people. I did not see that at all. These people are pigs, not glamorous at all. They are rotting in their own excesses, and get their comeuppance, yet most of them do manage to reinvent themselves in the end. So go see it, and don’t worry about admiring these characters, because you won’t.
The costumes, music and sets capture the 90’s and beyond perfectly, and reveal that excess is fun. Especially if you can watch it in a film and not get the hangover yourself. But even as we laugh, we are awfully glad we don’t live there, and know that sooner or later, life will kick them to the curb.
One interesting note. The real Jordon Belfort is now shopping around a reality TV series, and has been described by one television executive as “TV Gold.” I believe it, and the TV show may just be as big a hit as this film.
The Wolf of Wall Street is funny, very good and quite over the top. Not to be missed.
Joy Bennett
The Wolf of Wall Street is a huge movie. Three hours long, this is the true story of stockbroker Jordan Belfort’s rise and fall, based on his incredible 2007 memoir of the same name. In the capable hands of Martin Scorsese, the film evolves into an over the top mega movie: outsized, incredible, and controversial. And by the way, excellent.
Jordan Belfort, played as no one else could by Leonardo DiCaprio, is a hungry 90’s era stockbroker who swindles his way into a mega fortune, selling and hyping first penny stocks, then Blue Chips -- whatever it takes to pad his wallet. Jonah Hill is his sidekick, who he trains in the business. They embark on a life of outrageous luxury, swindling customers, drug consumption, womanizing, and sex.
But it may all come crashing down one day when the Feds, in the name of straight as an arrow Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler) comes calling to investigate their practices.
DiCaprio plays another character in a long line of over the top types like Gatsby, Howard Hughes, and now Jordon Belfort. He also produced and developed the film, and does an amazing job. Yet I for one am left to wonder if he would just for the heck of it play a quiet, understated role. I’m sure he could do it, and do it well, but one does wonder if he’s making a career out of these types or is it just something in him that pulls him into these mega sized film roles.
It is awfully nice though to see the very likable Jonah Hill come into his own and hold his own against DiCaprio and Scorsese. He does a great job, and although this is a serious movie about serious abuses of the system, there are many hilarious scenes. Including one memorable scene where, spaced out on drugs, DiCaprio tries to drive his expensive sports car home from the country club. The physical humor he displays is awesome. I was laughing my head off.
Australian actress Margot Robbie plays Naomi, Jordon’s wife. She is stunning, with schemes of her own. She enjoys the luxurious lifestyle, yet punishes him ruthlessly for his womanizing. It’s an acting tour de force, as are so many of the roles here. She does a terrific job, and I’m sure come next March, Oscar will reward their efforts.
While the film is well done and another of Scorsese’s near masterpieces, it has generated some controversy about what some people see as glamorizing the scandalous practices of corrupt business people. I did not see that at all. These people are pigs, not glamorous at all. They are rotting in their own excesses, and get their comeuppance, yet most of them do manage to reinvent themselves in the end. So go see it, and don’t worry about admiring these characters, because you won’t.
The costumes, music and sets capture the 90’s and beyond perfectly, and reveal that excess is fun. Especially if you can watch it in a film and not get the hangover yourself. But even as we laugh, we are awfully glad we don’t live there, and know that sooner or later, life will kick them to the curb.
One interesting note. The real Jordon Belfort is now shopping around a reality TV series, and has been described by one television executive as “TV Gold.” I believe it, and the TV show may just be as big a hit as this film.
The Wolf of Wall Street is funny, very good and quite over the top. Not to be missed.
American Hustle Review
Joy Bennett
American Hustle is a con artist of a movie. It keeps you guessing from start to finish. And it makes you realize, everyone is on the make. Aren’t we all a bit of a con artist? And love is the biggest con of all.
Set in the glorious 70’s, with the accompanying drugs, music, big hair, fashion, and the world’s worst comb over, Christian Bale and Amy Adams shimmer and shake their way through more plot turns than you can shake a joint clip at. The film keeps us amused, smiling, and intrigued from start to finish.
Christian’s character Irving is a master Long Island con artist. He owns a few legitimate drycleaners, yet his real take is working out loans for desperate folks willing to fork over thousands for money that will never materialize. He also trades in fake artwork so believable he can walk into a museum and show us a fake Rembrandt and we’d never know otherwise. When he meets Amy Adams’ gorgeous Sydney at a Long Island pool party, they both realize they have met their match.
There’s just one catch, Irving is married to equally gorgeous but klutzy Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence). Rosalyn is perhaps one of the only truly authentic and honest characters in the movie. Dizzyingly beautiful, she has a habit of setting their home on fire when she tries to cook, especially when she tries out their new fangled microwave. She doesn’t believe it when they tell you not to put metal inside, to hilarious results.
They are working their hustle, Irving and Sydney, a team in work and romance, despite his marriage. Then Richie (Bradley Cooper) steps in. He’s an FBI agent determined to take them down, and as many crooks as he can catch in the crossfire. But Sydney comes on to him. Is she playing him or is there really an attraction? Things move along quickly, between the love triangle, and seeing which con is which, and comes to a satisfying end, quite believably despite all the serious hustling going on.
At times funny, sad and a revealing glimpse into a world most of us will hopefully never see, this film is especially a consummate ensemble acting piece.
There’s even a small role with the handsome Jack Huston, who is Anjelica Huston’s nephew and coming into his own as an actor. He’s got a memorable role on Boardwalk Empire and really seems to have, like his talented family, quite the knack for acting superbly in a wide variety of roles.
One great scene between Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence seems so powerful, you wonder if these two terrific actresses improvised the surprise ending right on the spot, it seems that fresh and believable. I doubt however, this picture will get the Oscar for best film of the year. It’s a smaller film than Wolf of Wall Street, which will eat it alive, but it’s a fine film and I would very much recommend it.
The film was directed by David O. Russell, who co-wrote the screenplay with Eric Singer. With this film, Mr. Russell adds to an impressive body of work including Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter. He is especially insightful at studying characters on the edge of society, like a fellow just out of the psych ward, hustlers, and the like.
The film has myriad twists and turns, and keeps you guessing until the end, yet winds everything up nicely. Not easy to do in a film this complicated. It also features great music and costumes from the 70’s too.
The opening quote for the movie reads “Some of this actually happened,” and that is the one thing in this film you really do believe.
Joy Bennett
American Hustle is a con artist of a movie. It keeps you guessing from start to finish. And it makes you realize, everyone is on the make. Aren’t we all a bit of a con artist? And love is the biggest con of all.
Set in the glorious 70’s, with the accompanying drugs, music, big hair, fashion, and the world’s worst comb over, Christian Bale and Amy Adams shimmer and shake their way through more plot turns than you can shake a joint clip at. The film keeps us amused, smiling, and intrigued from start to finish.
Christian’s character Irving is a master Long Island con artist. He owns a few legitimate drycleaners, yet his real take is working out loans for desperate folks willing to fork over thousands for money that will never materialize. He also trades in fake artwork so believable he can walk into a museum and show us a fake Rembrandt and we’d never know otherwise. When he meets Amy Adams’ gorgeous Sydney at a Long Island pool party, they both realize they have met their match.
There’s just one catch, Irving is married to equally gorgeous but klutzy Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence). Rosalyn is perhaps one of the only truly authentic and honest characters in the movie. Dizzyingly beautiful, she has a habit of setting their home on fire when she tries to cook, especially when she tries out their new fangled microwave. She doesn’t believe it when they tell you not to put metal inside, to hilarious results.
They are working their hustle, Irving and Sydney, a team in work and romance, despite his marriage. Then Richie (Bradley Cooper) steps in. He’s an FBI agent determined to take them down, and as many crooks as he can catch in the crossfire. But Sydney comes on to him. Is she playing him or is there really an attraction? Things move along quickly, between the love triangle, and seeing which con is which, and comes to a satisfying end, quite believably despite all the serious hustling going on.
At times funny, sad and a revealing glimpse into a world most of us will hopefully never see, this film is especially a consummate ensemble acting piece.
There’s even a small role with the handsome Jack Huston, who is Anjelica Huston’s nephew and coming into his own as an actor. He’s got a memorable role on Boardwalk Empire and really seems to have, like his talented family, quite the knack for acting superbly in a wide variety of roles.
One great scene between Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence seems so powerful, you wonder if these two terrific actresses improvised the surprise ending right on the spot, it seems that fresh and believable. I doubt however, this picture will get the Oscar for best film of the year. It’s a smaller film than Wolf of Wall Street, which will eat it alive, but it’s a fine film and I would very much recommend it.
The film was directed by David O. Russell, who co-wrote the screenplay with Eric Singer. With this film, Mr. Russell adds to an impressive body of work including Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter. He is especially insightful at studying characters on the edge of society, like a fellow just out of the psych ward, hustlers, and the like.
The film has myriad twists and turns, and keeps you guessing until the end, yet winds everything up nicely. Not easy to do in a film this complicated. It also features great music and costumes from the 70’s too.
The opening quote for the movie reads “Some of this actually happened,” and that is the one thing in this film you really do believe.
Her Film Review
Joy Bennett
Her, written and directed by Spike Jonze (who also directed Being John Malcovich and Adaptation) continues in his line of unique and unusual films that make you think, even as they entertain and amuse you.
Theodore, a lonely and sensitive fellow, played with great depth and feeling by Joaquin Phoenix, toils away each day writing beautiful letters for others for pay, along with missing his soon to be ex-wife. Then his life changes, as he gradually falls deeply in love with a computer operative system. But not just any operating system. Set slightly in the future, the computer program is intuitive, funny, sexy, and can sense and fulfill his every emotional need, even before he realizes them. Scarlett Johansson plays the voice of Samantha, who we never see but nevertheless, she does a terrific job conjuring up a disembodied character just with the sound of her voice. They even have cybersex, although the director discreetly turns the screen black while we are left to imagine them together.
Some of his friends are critical, especially his bitter ex-wife Catherine, played in a role much too small by Rooney Mara. Some accept it as naturally as relating to another human. Theirs is a full-blown relationship, complete with arguments, shared romantic moments, and every type of conversation, except perhaps, who will take out the garbage.
I can tell you, if they ever do create a program like that, sign me up. Who wouldn’t want a relationship without all the nuts and bolts of everyday life, with someone or some thing that could sense and meet your every emotional need? It would fly off the shelves!
Eventually, Theodore must come to terms with the limitations of such a relationship, and although we are left to wonder what will become of him, we are certain that given the sweet way they interact, these two really could and did have a full-blown romance, even though she was only a voice.
This movie is more a romance than hard-core science fiction. It’s sad, funny and touching, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Of particular note is Joaquin Phoenix. He is such a gifted actor, and brings amazing depth of feeling and conviction to every role he’s done. Scarlett Johansson also deserves note as well for fleshing out in every vocal nuance the arc of this romance, which could not have been easy.
Of interest is the fact that the director, after filming was completed, replaced the voice of the love interest. Samantha Morton‘s voice was removed and Scarlett Johansson’s filled in, to much expense, I imagine. It was worth it, although I didn’t hear the earlier version, Scarlett’s role was extremely well done.
Amy Adams has a supportive role as Theodore’s good friend and neighbor. Also called Amy in the movie, she does as usual a terrific job in a quieter role than is typical for her. Still, it’s always a pleasure to see her on screen.
Although the film is set a few years in the future, emotionally it’s not the future, it’s now. We are all really getting that disconnected. If there were a program to create a girlfriend or boyfriend from a software package it would sell out instantly. How many of us can have a more satisfying relationship with someone who is miles away, yet can barely speak to our own family?
Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson are brilliant. She deserves the Oscar for best supporting actress. More a love story than science fiction, this was a surprisingly satisfying movie that will stay with you for some time to come. Great music, too, including some songs by Arcade Fire, a very interesting alternative band.