The Scorsese-directed film has a three-hour runtime, which is quite fitting for the enormous number of scenes and storylines that are part of the cinematic experience. That, however, does not mean that there are no lulls in the complex plot. The sequencing could have benefited from a more streamlined edit to reach a larger audience (but it's hard to decide what scenes could be cut, as they were all of the highest caliber).
Looking past the lengthiness, this movie captures the performance excellence that has come to be expected from DiCaprio. The context of a wealthy character becomes the star in 2013, as he portrayed the legendary equally charming and mysterious Gatsby and most recently the Wolf of Wall Street, a man who becomes obsessed with both his wealth and himself.
While DiCaprio is the star of this film, Jonah Hill certainly has his fair share of screen time as Belfort's business associate, Donnie Azoff. Hill seems to be type cast once again as a goofy beta-male in this film, but with that being said, there is no better actor for the role of inappropriate best friend.
In terms of other male characters in this film, Matthew McConaughey makes less than a half-hour appearance as young Belfort's original boss and mentor on Wall Street. While the character was McConaughey's classic cool-dude-gone-arrogant, the film could have been more succinct with the star appearing in more than just the beginning.
The female lead of this film, Margot Robbie, gave a performance as Belfort's trophy wife that is worth watching. While DiCaprio's performance is always hard to live up to, Robbie's acting was both flawless and raw. This film has definitely put her on the list of stars to watch in 2014.
The story is entertaining, from the tales of how Belmont started his business in an old garage to his drug-crazed parties. This film is worth watching, but maybe not in theaters (since it is a pretty big time commitment).
Grade: B-
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