Snap Judgment: "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Darlings!

I have an idea.

I often propose new ideas for how to go about writing posts for this blog, but: I ALSO often end up getting so psyched up about all the things I want to say about a movie and then hunting down images I want to use and editing and formatting and blah blah blah that I then put off actually doing the thing until they actually don't get done at all.

Dumb.

So maybe, every once in a while, I'll write quick little posts right after I watch a movie.  Maybe not the most thorough reflection or analysis or anything, but a gut reaction immediately post viewing.

To take this for a test spin, luckily, I just saw "The Wolf of Wall Street" (2013).

Snap judgment: SO GOOD!!

Okay.  I'm going to limit myself to five bullet points in these reactions.

• Remain unintimidated by the runtime.

Yes, it is 2 hours and 59 minutes long.  Yes, that is very long.  Yes, you are likely to need a potty break.

However, rest assured: you know I have no patience for draggy, bloated bullshit.  This movie is none of those things.  It is, to the contrary, exceedingly well-paced and jam-packed with entertaining shit.

• Because for example: people move all sorts of ways and it's AMAZING.

This:

Rubber-for-bones dancing!

And this: 

Quaalude chase scene!

Two of many, many examples of one of the most thoroughly delighting and entertaining aspects of this movie: its physicality.  Scorsese is amazing in many ways, but it's new for me to appreciate him for his immense talent in directing actors to use their bodies in insane, surprising, hysterical ways without feeling at all slapstick.  And this is only one of the reasons this film is incredibly fun to watch.

• Speaking of which: Cinematography WIN!

I'm not discovering anything new here, but FUCK Scorsese knows how to use a camera.

There are so many brilliant shots in this film that are yummily imagery dense and stimulating and fun.  This is a beautifully-shot movie.

• Jonah Hill!  Matthew McConaughey!  Jon Bernthal!

DiCaprio is fantastic in this.  BUT!  He's also flanked by incredible performances by his supporting actors.

Jonah Hill's is probably hands down the most watchable performance of the film.

But also: Shane!!

Who's got two hands and is showing everyone he knows how to act??
THIS GUY.

And even though he's only in the movie briefly, Matthew McConaughey is basically having the best re-emergence ever.

• Yes there is a ton of crazy debauchery, but there's also a healthy and very well-executed bit of pathos.

I don't want to spoil those pathos bits because they're also some of the best parts of the movie, but trust me: they exist.  They're just enough to add some darkness and intensity to the movie's crazy range and prevent it from becoming a simple, silly booze-and-boobs fest, but aren't too much to dampen the thrill that follows you out of the film.

Or was that a contact high?

Movie score: An enthusiastic 5!

Go go go!!

{Heart}