The Wolf of Wall Street

There's Never Too Much of A Good Thing

            Jordan Belfort is a douche bag, and you're going to love every minute of him. Wall Street never forgives and only accepts those willing enough to do whatever they possibly can to make money. Getting rich and doing so as soon as humanly possible is the only thing these drones that can be seen walking in and out of broker firms are programmed to do. What sets Mr. Belfort apart is that he has raised it to an art form. He has the drugs, the sex, the power, the profanity, and, most of all, the drive that attracts in everyone in his path. Leonardo DiCaprio teams up once again with director Martin Scorsese in his latest masterpiece and delivers what could possibly be the performance of his career.

          These past few months have given the world an unusual amount of quality movies and The Wolf of Wall Street has just been added to this list. Based off the book The Wolf of Wall Street written by none other than Jordan Belfort himself, there are never-ending turns taken as he makes his way up to the top of the stock broker tier. The drugs and cursing flow like milk and honey which reflects the incomparably lavish lifestyle Belfort and his associates partake. The trailers for this film give a decent representation of what it's all about but, as an avid moviegoer, even I was surprised at the heights Scorsese climbs to give the audience a thorough exposure into Belfort's affairs.

            It is not lightly said that there is vulgarity in this movie, in all shapes, sizes, and awesomeness. Apparently brokers make sailors look like charming princes when it comes to dialogue and they also buy drugs like they buy stocks--ferociously. Belfort was greatly involved in popping pills called "ludes"in the late-80s and Leonardo DiCaprio's intense portrayal of being under the influence even passes on the experience to the viewer. Note: a specific scene where he attempts walking to his car while on an unexpected amount of ludes is an example of acting of the highest caliber.

           With a name like "Leonardo DiCaprio" heads will turn regardless just because it sounds cool. But when his diverse range of acting is paired with a figure that even "out-Gatsbys" Jay Gatsby, not only will heads turn but they will be locked in. DiCaprio is in RARE FORM here and so is Jonah Hill (Superbad). Hill plays Donny Azoff, Belfort's right-hand man and number one confidant. Both of these gentleman have an onscreen chemistry that comes with a level of talent perfect for a movie as extravagant, provocative, corrupt, in-your-face, and down right ridiculous as this one.

            DiCaprio might have secured my pick for the Best Actor Oscar this year and would also give him an honor long overdue. Martin Scorsese has established this sex-crazed maniac of a businessman's rise and demise as screen-worthy material and outdoes even his own wildest dreams. Grade: 8.9/10 

American Hustle

From The Feet Up

            There are silk shirts, crushed-velvet coats, hair styles with no shame at all, and low cut shirts that do not quit. David O'Russell is at it again as he holds the reins of this year's best ensemble cast. The Sting (1973) has found its rival of corruption but is met with the comedy and period-fun of 1978. American Hustle is chock full of glamor and con-artistry that is only completed by acting at a top notch level. The complexity of a scandal such as this requires an attention to detail that truly delivers and then goes down smooth leaving the buzz that lingers.

            Irving (Christian Bale +50 lbs.) is a con man at the top of his craft. He keeps a dry cleaning business in his back pocket and has a comb-over that takes just as much managing as his thriving affairs; somehow, he still makes it all look so easy. His main squeeze (Amy Adams) switches back and forth from an elegant British accent to a fast, conniving New Jersey emphasis that is the only thing breaking the concentration of her "cleavaged" dresses. This duo pretty much steals the show with their passionate dialogue and they seem to get lost in each other's drive for "success," however it may come. They serve as the main focus until they have a run in with FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) who figures out he can use their talents for the betterment of more than just themselves. Also, his hairdo cannot be ignored and Bradley Cooper is probably the only person who can make hair curlers cool. Then, in comes the mayor of Camden, New Jersey, the crowd-pleasing Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) sporting his pompadour that would make Roy Orbison croon. His love for his city gets him involved in the scam of the year. When heads are turned certain ways, anything can happen and different players can slip in and out of the picture.

            With a lesser role but equal impact is Jennifer Lawrence as Irving's wife (that's right, I said it--wife). She brings in the same intensity as she did alongside Bradley Cooper in David O'Russell's Silver Linings Playbook (2012). She is nothing short of electrifying and takes a hold of every scene she is in, per usual. She adds a spiteful snarl behind her lovely eyes and does what she wants when she wants. A consecutive Oscar nod may be in her near future.

            David O'Russell can add charm and elegance to any serious moment and continues to do so this time around. His cast never lets up in complimenting each other giving you the desire of what could happen next. When the name of the game is Hustle, there are only an infinity of options you can have. J-Law may not be the only one looking at an Academy nomination this March: Mr. Bale, thank you for setting the bar high once again. Grade: 8.5/10
         

         

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

The Story of the Year: Misfire

            The mustache. The platform shoes. The leisure suits. The wavy hairdos. All this and more can be found in the first Anchorman and all of the hopes and dreams of John Q. Moviegoer can be left in the 70s along with the greatness of the first movie. Families on sofas erupted at the first leak of trailers for Anchorman 2. Will Ferrell made the first announcement on late night television and life could not get any better for fans of Ron Burgundy and his beautifully awkward one-liners. Once there was a date set for the end of December 2013, the countdown began and could not end soon enough. I was one of these people. There was nothing more that I was looking forward to seeing than the sequel to the 2004 movie that everyone still quotes endlessly. It physically hurts and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but, Anchorman 2 is the disappointment of 2013. 

          It is now the 1980s. News networks are coming up with broader and stranger ways to deliver the news. Ron Burgundy (Ferrell, as usual) is fired from his job as the co-anchor for the global news network. His wife, the majestically aging Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), has been given the top slot that Ron should be sharing with her, and as you can imagine, Ron has a famous meltdown that involves screaming and emotional speech-giving. He teams up with his old news team that leads unnecessarily random new lives and embarks on a journey to give headlines at a 24-hour network. 

            Ron Burgundy, Brick Tamland, Champ Kind, and Brian Fantana are the Fab Four of the news industry and make up a team comparable to the Fab Four from Liverpool. This sequel is a disservice to what classic image they have been given by a generation of comedy lovers. People love the simple stupidity of Brick (Steve Carell, who else?), now he's been made out to have been dumber than ever and his witty unneeded observations that make him so funny contradict the character that is popular in the first place. Champ and Brian (David Koechner and Paul Rudd) have lost the luster of playboy goofs they once were, 9 years ago. There can be no over statement that Anchorman 2 is done and then flipped over and burned some more. 

             The laughs are there, briefly. Pushing the envelope is what I think director/writer Adam McKay was going for but ended up with a teleprompter full of inappropriate dialogue even Mr. Burgundy himself would be ashamed to read. It's one thing to try to live up to the reputation (or Legend, in this case) of a movie that sky rocketed the fame of someone like Will Ferrell, but it's another thing to over-do a good joke. This movie tanks the anticipation that the Durango commercials and Burgundy cameos of the past few months. This is the top story as the biggest flop of the year. Milk was a bad choice, and so was a sequel. Grade: 5/10