The last three films I’ve viewed courtesy of Netflix have been 2013 Oscar nominees. I went into American Hustle with high expectations and was disappointed. I went into Gravity with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The Wolf of Wall Street is exactly what I expected, a perfect vehicle for Martin Scorsese’s cynical world view. It is based on the book by Jordan Belfort, who is played with brio by Leonardo DiCaprio. The entire cast is first-rate. There are welcomed appearances by veterans Rob Reiner and Joanna Lumley, as well as by former cop Bo Dietl. Unfortunately, I found the film to be one-note, pretty much as I did Goodfellas (1990) when I first saw it, and which improved on each viewing as the shock value wore off. I’m not sure that will be the case with Wolf, which didn't shock me. Is it an indictment of Wall Street? Some will see it that way, but I didn't. I see it as a portrait of the corrupt individuals of a single firm. Are there similar excesses at other companies? Of course, just as there are in Hollywood and other industries, but they are likely few and far between. The film’s major fault is its failure to divulge if any of the customers profited from their investments, especially after Stratton-Oakmont moves from touting dubious penny stocks to legitimate ones. It appears everyone was fleeced. I doubt that. The unscrupulousness of such players is deplorable, but the customers must share the burden of responsibility somewhat. I worked in the commodity trading business for almost 25 years, and the brokers desperately wanted their customers to make money so that they would continue to provide business. Did the customers always get the best price? No, it often went to a nearby trader as a sort of favor which would be returned in tough times, but the customer still made money -- if he was on the right side of the market. I explain this in my fourth novel, Exchanges. I think 99% of people put in such a situation would act the same way. I didn’t know any brokers who were as openly, gleefully rapacious as those in the film. I liked many, hated a few, and had mixed feelings about some. I am a better person as a result of my experiences in the world of high finance. I learned a lot, especially about the human experience, although it was at times ugly. I didn’t learn much, if anything, from The Wolf of Wall Street. On a scale of five, I rate it 2.5. Contributors at IMDb disagree. Almost 378,000 forge to a consensus of 8.3 of ten. The film received five Oscar nominations, winning none. Anyone interested in a more realistic take on Wall Street, minus the flash and debauchery, should try Margin Call (2011), by far the best film I’ve seen on the subject.
There is an interesting op-ed piece in today’s NY Post by Thomas Sowell, who cites that the President is not a lame duck, given his disdain for the constitution and penchant for bypassing congress. He hilariously states that Biden was chosen VP to make Obama "impeachment-proof." He closes with this statement: “Far from being a lame duck President, Obama can make this a lame duck democracy.”
My thanks to the buyers and donors who visited the floating book shop today.
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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