THE WOLF OF WALL STREET - FILM REVIEW

Release Date: 17th January 2014 (UK)
Age Certificate: 18
Running Time: 180 mins
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Terence Winter and Jordan Belfort
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

Let’s start off with the negatives for a change. First, the character Jordan Belfort is totally unlikeable and a huge dick. I know this is the point of the film, you’re not supposed to know what happens to the unfortunate souls that buy nothing from him, and see his uncontrollable success. But the fact remains it doesn’t usually make a good film if you fail to back the main protagonist. The second failure of The Wolf is the over indulgent party scenes, there are too many to be frank. I am struggling to comprehend what Scorsese was pondering what to take out when ordered to do so. To give the benefit of the doubt, the party scenes do produce enough laughs to pull you through the film. However, the main point remains, you don’t care whether this guy dies, lives, is arrested or lives happily ever after.

The strengths are obvious; it looks marvelous, as it would, coming from Scorsese.  It’s also fast paced which is always nice in a film. The three hour time limit has been criticised, which I partly agree with, however, it doesn’t necessarily feel three hours. Finally, the acting is top notch. Saying that, I still think Leonardo DiCaprio still won’t win the Oscar, which is indeed disappointing, but one day he will achieve. He’s too much of a great talent to be forgotten in the Oscar timeline. Jonah Hill, for me, will always be remembered as the loser from Superbad, and that’s a shame. 

Good for some laughs and a spectacle for great acting. The Wolf of Wall Street is an adult film for teenagers.

7/10

SAVAGES FILM REVIEW

 Release Date: 21st September 2012

Age Certificate: 15

Running Time: 130 mins

Directors: Oliver Stone

Writers: Shane Salerno Don Winslow and Oliver Stone.
Stars: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Taylor Kitsch and Blake Lively

Another Sky Movies film, and this time I’m reviewing ‘Savages’, Oliver Stone’s 2012 film. You always enjoy the anticipation to sit down and watch an Oliver Stone film because his forte is making controversial films. ‘Savages’ brings us drugs, guns, explosions, sex and some more violence. A nice family film. 

Weed growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel who kidnap their shared girlfriend.

The film brings some good acting to the table, especially by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, his character is the one that the audience is supposed to care for. This is because he doesn’t kill anyone and has a conscience; he is more of the brains behind this drug interface. 

Chon, played by Taylor Kitsch, is the muscle behind the operation. Their relationship is obviously tight as they both share the same girl. And that girl is Blake Lively, she played her role well in The Town, and she played this one okay to. However, in The Town she did play a ‘women who gets around’ and in ‘Savages’ she lets two guys share her. So yes, she probably has been type casted. 

Benicio Del Toro also does a very good job of being the ‘bad guy’, very creepy and very unpredictable which is what you need to make a good villain. Also...John Travolta is in this film! And he actually isn’t that bad. That’s as much as I can say about him though. 

The story is intriguing I’ll give it that but I’m just saying if you were a leader of a drug operation you would keep your daughter in your sight all of the time and protected. But that isn’t the thing that ruins this film, the ending does. They play out about ten minutes of the scene and then rewind, it’s like they said, ‘you know what I didn’t like that, let’s shoot it again’. It was stupid. 

Oliver Stone has added another controversial film to his list. It went down a treat in some parts, kept you wanting to watch until the end. However, when the end did come I felt like crawling up into a ball and crying.    

7.0/10