(Rental Review) The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

It's been a long time since I have actually updated anything on here. To be honest, my times has been pretty much consumed by work and my new little one, so I don't get to see as many movies as I once did and I really don't have time to write anything about most of the ones that I do see. But I had a few minutes to spare and wanted to do a few small reviews of the some of the movies that I have watched recently.

I understand the reason for the Academy doing everything they can to justify giving Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar, but I REALLY didn't see how THIS movie (above many other movies out in 2013) was in contest for Best Picture. Sure, the movie was good. It even had a good message and it showed, in a palatable way, the underbelly and corruption that runs Wall Street. But Best Picture? Come on! There is no way that this should have even been nominated.

Storyline: This is the true story of the outlandish rise and non-stop pleasure-hunting descent of Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio), the New York stockbroker who, along with his merry band of brokers, makes a gargantuan fortune by defrauding investors out of millions. Belfort transforms from a righteous young Wall Street newcomer to a thoroughly corrupted stock-pumper and IPO cowboy. Having quickly amassed an absurd fortune, Jordan pumps it back into an endless array of aphrodisiacs: women, Quaaludes, coke, cars, his supermodel wife and a legendary life of aspiration and acquisition without limits. But even as Belfort's company, Stratton Oakmont, soars sky-high into extremes of hedonistic gratification, the SEC and the FBI are zeroing in on his empire of excess.  - Redbox.com

As I said, the movie is a fine movie, and Leo actually deserves the Oscar Nomination for Best Actor, but this is a far far cry from being Best Picture worthy. If you watch it, I'm sure most of you already have, you will enjoy it. But you won't walk away from it thinking "Jeez. 12 Years a Slave robbed them" or "Mcconaughey didn't deserve the Oscar for Best Actor". Still, it's enjoyable.