Wolf of Wall Street - 1 frown

“Wolf of Wall Street,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is meant to be an entertaining, even meaningful representation of the life of Jordon Belfort, the penny-stock maestro. But, at three hours, it’s overly long, excessive and I couldn’t wait until it was over. While I will admit, DiCaprio throws himself into a character with deep ethical deficits with skill and verve, he’s not a likable enough protagonist to care about what happens to him.  Jonah Hill, with phosphorescent teeth and manic behavior, is more irritating than funny as Jordan’s partner in the sleazy firm of Stratton Oakmont. Director Martin Scorsese does justice to all of the characters’ devotion to cocaine, Quaaludes and heroin. But, eventually, the pandemonium wears thin and there’s still two hours to go. Any meaningful perspective on the greedfest of the period is lost in the gleefulness of the depiction. “Wolf of Wall Street” is relentless, aggressive and, ultimately, not worth the investment of time. 12/29/13