Posted on 01/05/2014 7:57:44 AM PST by SeekAndFind
I went to see Wolf with a friend who has zero investments. As we watched the film, which for all its 3-hour length flew by in a compulsively sickening but sustained high-wire act of what's next?, he commented that he owns no securities. Now, watching this debauchery, he would never invest with this species of human infection.
When I spoke with my account manager after the film, I admit that even I -- much more sophisticated than my friend, if far less knowledgeable than almost anyone in finance -- also spoke with some shaded caution, as the film reminded me of the storied excesses that were tamped down in the 80s, 90s and aughts.
The initial article in Forbes that depicted Jordan Belfort as an ethics-challenged trader-wolf, Scorsese or the Belfort biographer would have us believe, initiated a tsunami of voracious young moneylusters who washed up in waves, excited by what they had read. But our reaction through the 3 hours, never less than interested, was yet never more than soured observation.
Monitoring my reactions as the film unspooled, I was troubled, often found myself grimacing, disbelieving and disgusted. The man gave nothing back, and treated those who behaved less avariciously than he with oblivious cruelty. The single person who benefited from his early largesse, we are told in the film, is a female stockbroker who was given $25,000 at the start of her company tenure. We don't know if that is even true. What is true, but got not one second of screen-time, were the pigeons, the wealthy and mostly not-so-wealthy who lost their savings, their IRAs, or their families in the wholesale losses engendered by the unscrupulous stocktraders of Stratton Oakmont.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
If it comes out of Hollywood it is meant to portray the business world as full of evil greedy men
There will be no portrayal of the hard work of a Bill Gates of Steve Jobs, who created the computer world out of nothing.
And it will be followed by angels (from the government) who save us.
How close am I? (I dont intend to see it)
It’s based on a real guy, who was/is a real dirtbag. I think he spent time in prison for fraud.
The movie sets the record for use of the “F” word...506 times.
There is a Steve Jobs movie, though I haven’t seen it.
Haven’t seen the movie.
But, have no doubt Hollywood wants to convey a certain image or message.
For example, it’s well known that Hollywood never makes any movie or TV show which portrays homosexual characters in a bad light. They are tryingto send a certain message that way. Just in general, Hollywood tries to send liberal messages.
Scorsese is good at portraying groups who make up their own rules without regard to others. There are no saviors in these films, government or otherwise, only predators and victims. As mentioned, the central figure in real life was a scumbag, so yes, it is a portrayal of an evil businessman, but that is exactly what he was.
It’s Casino re-scripted for Wall street story. They removed the violence and added a brief history of Qaaludes.
Condemnation. He’s an anti-hero, anti-heroes are condemned in their story not praised.
I thought “Buyer Beware” was obvious. I have never bought anything from anyone who solicited me on the phone. Yep this character ripped them off but he was selling ice cream to Eskimos.
Also it was clear that he was a manic, drug addict/ sex addict
I saw the movie as an over the top comedy that had no deeper significance except that it is possible to manipulate others.
I thought Dicaprio and Hill were tremendous. Margot Robbie,who played his second wife is stunning. His first wife is played by the actress who’s Ted’s future wife on How I Met Your Mother.
These people being portrayed are disgusting human beings. How would putting them in a favorable light be helpful? FWIW, some people such as his first wife were portrayed positively, so it didn't seem to be an unfair hatchet job.
RE: Hollywood never makes any movie or TV show which portrays homosexual characters in a bad light.
Have you seen Mel Gibson’s BRAVEHEART? That won him an Oscar BTW.
Mel is gay? Who knew!
That explains why he was wearing dress in the film.....
It’s a modern day “Reefer Madness”. Exploitation elements “justified” by the seriousness of the subject matter.
It’s a cautionary tale, you see?
I wouldn’t go that far, part of what makes it not cautionary is that Belfort never really got punished, got to spend some time in a minimum security prison and was assessed a fine he’s largely never paid. And I doubt it will join Reefer Madness in pantheon of great movies to watch stoned.
There will probably be some who dig watching WoWS while tripping balls, for me the bit with DiCapprio and the former “teen” comedian known for Superbad, et al both zonked on heavy ludes and fighting over the phone was done far better by Cheech and Chong.
I love the how he remember the drive vs how the drive really happened, though it did knock me out of temporary suspension of disbelief hoping they’d found one of those cars pre-wrecked.
Jonah Hill has really climbed up the Hollywood ladder.
I was surprised at how good he was in this movie. He took a huge cut in pay be in it. (60 Grand,to be exact.)
I watched it the other night and I really enjoyed the first half.
I started to zone out around the time Belfort was nabbed by the Feds.
The movie was far too long.
It reminded me a lot of Reefer Madness, “Adults Only” exploitation schlock (snorting cocaine from a hooker butthole, REALLY?) that revels in showing a lot of “sinning” in the name of public interest exposing a “racket”.
Somehow I think that the cameras could’ve been turned on any big Hollywood estate party with the same excesses and more (like who gave a 13 year old Drew Barrymore coke and what did she have to do for it) with the same effect.
Million dollar Marxists denouncing stock investments as a sucker’s game. Repeatedly the audience is told that working at McDonald’s or any other 9-5 is also sucker’s bait, slaving your life away.
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