In many ways this reminded me of Al Pacino's version of Scarface - it's about an outsider who comes to the promised land, gets a mentor who gives him advice on how to make as much money as possible, and soon becomes filthy rich and determined to live as hedonistic a life as possible. He has a loyal best friend and is taken in by a seductive woman and ultimately it all comes crashing down.
And Al Pacino in the early 80s would have made ideal casting for the lead in this - it's a part that requires a star capable of hammy flamboyance - but Leo di Caprio steps up nicely. His partnership with Martin Scorsese has become one of the most satisfying in cinema history, each collaboration being a little different, always interesting.
Marty seems to be having the time of his life with all the scenes of partying, and stockbrokers yelling, and narrative tricks (actors talking to camera, changing voice overs). This is very much in the spirit of Goodfellas, only with less of a body count and more money. It also feels very Oliver Stone - complete with concentration on men behaving badly, and female roles which mainly consist of nags and/or sex pots.
It was actually written by Terence Winter of Boardwalk Empire fame, and the HBO influence can be felt in a few key, extremely well written long dialogue scenes - such as one between Leo and Matthew McConaughey in a restaurant (I'm confused at my increasing feelings of respect for Mahoganey, few actors can have made such a sharp up turn in terms of quality in their career over a period) and one between Kyle Chandler and Leo on a boat.
Jonah Hill offers sterling support. There's also superb work done by Margot Robbie, who looks sensational, sounds great and holds her own with Leo in some domestic scenes. Actually all the cast is good, really.
Two things stop this from being a really outstanding film. One - it does tend to hit the same beat over and over ("we were crazy", "we were out of control") without really expanding its world view; occasionally there was a glimpse at a more complex world (the sad look on a secretary who agreed to shave her hair off, Leo punching Margot Robbie) but there wasn't enough (no look at any of the victims, for instance - although the victims were mostly victims of their own greed). Second - it was needlessly long; there were several sequences which could have easily been cut and nothing really would have been lost (eg the gay butler sequence, the stuff where they went partying the night before going to Switzerland). Still, a grand old romp.
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