Another year is in the books, and we here at Hush Comics couldn’t pass at the chance to rank our favorites of this year’s releases in all types of mediums. Some of the winners will surprise you; heck, some of the results surprised us. The results are completely subjective, and therefore were chosen with infallible logic. We would love to hear your opinions on what we have chosen, or if you thought we missed anything. This should be a fun review before we gear up for 2015.
Click on the link to take you to the “Best of 2014” homepage.
Best Sci-Fi/Action Movie
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Godzilla
Interstellar
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Transformers: Age of Extinction
WINNER – Interstellar
F’ING SPACE, MAAAAN! These were the words that left my mouth when somebody asked how I felt about the best space movie released in the past decade. Christopher Nolan, deemed all-time taker of my movie dollars put a lot of time, money and, most importantly, vetted research into this epic tale. He took my love for science, which has been all but corporatized at this point, and reverted it back into love of the unknown and reawakened a quest for knowledge I haven’t felt since watching Beakman and Bill Nye as a kid. F’ing space, man. – Sherif
Second Place – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
There’s a stereotype for science fiction movies. Flying cars, futuristic weapons, space travel, sexy space aliens, you know all the criteria. Too often film makers (and fans) force us into thinking that a sci-fi flick needs elements that advance civilization and take us to new galaxies. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes breaks the sci-fi stereotype in most excellent fashion. Instead of a flick taking place among the stars Dawn shows audiences how society has fared since the events in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and as you might expect there is no space travel, but rather society has regressed to lifestyle closer to that of the stone age. And while humans suffer and struggle, the apes thrive! They’ve learned to communicate with one another as well as humans, they’ve structured their civilization, made rules, and have even developed morals. The chimps, gorillas, orangutans, and all other primates are on a rise synonymous with humanity’s ability to send humans to the moon. The movie as a whole was very well done and captivating, but it’s most endearing quality is its unique perspective on the genre. There’s something special about watching apes ride horses, wield firearms, protect human beings and build families. Dawn was a unique sci-fi experience and it should definitely not be missed! – Taylor
Third Place – Godzilla
Godzilla, the movie and the monster, really had the odds stacked against him (and it) when this reboot was announced. Most people found themselves asking why on Earth the monster was being reanimated yet again and why the hell they would want to see that. Freaking Matthew Broderick and Roland Emerich did their damnedest to destroy Godzilla’s good name in the 90’s, and they almost had him beat, until Gareth Edwards got his hands on the project and single-handedly saved the king of all monsters’ good name. Aaron Johnson (known mostly for the lead role in Kick-Ass) really stepped up as a tough yet sensitive soldier just trying to get home to his wife and son. Above all else, Godzilla once again proved that he was a force to be reckoned with. He looked like the good old monster we all know and love, and he came to the rescue and lived to tell the tale! The best aspect of Godzilla for me is that it was shot with so much suspense that it made monster movies scary again! It’s hard for any property to be remade or rebooted these days since most people instinctively hate them or claim that their mere existence is ruining their childhood, but Godzilla took a giant fire-breathing bite out of all the haters and for that, I love him. – Keriann
RUNNER UP – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Taken out of District Twelve and plopped into the revolution happening in District Thirteen and the rest of Panem, something was missing in my chest after I saw this film. While there were mixed reviews of the third installment of The Hunger Games franchise, I absolutely loved it. Did the third book need to be split into two movies? Probably not. Like Sherif said in his review of the film, splitting the last book of a series into two or more films has only and probably will only ever work for Harry Potter (sorry, Hobbit.) Regardless, I was deeply effected by this film and the social commentary in it. From police brutality to economic inequality, the themes in this movie really hit home for a lot of audience members this year. I can’t wait for the Part II in 2015. – Charlotte
RUNNER UP – Transformers: Age of Extinction
One word: Dinobots. While the plot of these movies has always been a bit on the lazy side, the lack of Shia Lebouf makes this movie worth seeing for that alone. This is a Michael Bay film, so the customary explosions in lieu of plot are to be expected and in this case, it really worked out well. Optimus Prime is an even bigger badass when he is mad at the humans and Mark Wahlberg was pretty decent by himself. John Goodman plays the voice of one of the Autobots and is able to almost single-handedly carry a large portion of the later story with his awesomeness. – Robert
Another year is in the books, and we here at Hush Comics couldn’t pass at the chance to rank our favorites of this year’s releases in all types of mediums. Some of the winners will surprise you; heck, some of the results surprised us. The results are completely subjective, and therefore were chosen with infallible logic. We would love to hear your opinions on what we have chosen, or if you thought we missed anything. This should be a fun review before we gear up for 2015.
Click on the link to take you to the “Best of 2014” homepage.
Best Film of the Year
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
LEGO Movie
WINNER – Guardians of the Galaxy
If you ask me, the best films are the ones you have the most fun watching. The most fun I had in a movie theater all year long was when I went to see Guardians of the Galaxy. I knew the film would be good, but I was not expecting it to be AMAZING! There were so many things that the Marvel team did well! They cast an unexpected lead role that did a fantastic job (Chris Pratt). They nixed the formulaic “superhero” movie model, creating instead a thrilling space adventure. They worked in one of the best utilization of a soundtrack EVER. They gave us a foul mouthed, short tempered, talking Raccoon and his best friend, a talking tree! It was a film for everybody – honestly! GOTG appeals to children and their parents, hard core fan-boys and fan-girls, the elderly, people who hate movies, mermaids, your dog, that guy over there, everybody!! I’ll wrap this up with one of the most profound, insightful and inspiring quotes of the film – ahem – … “I am Groot.” – Taylor
Second Place – Interstellar
Chances are, if a movie can make me ugly cry, it will be one of my favorites. Interstellar was no exception, and yes, I did ugly cry when it was all over. From the obvious aspects like acting to the small details like sound editing, this film was not just a film; it was an experience. And best of all? Christopher Nolan and his brother, Johnathan Nolan, pulled off a futuristic/dystopian/space exploration/science-fiction film and wrapped it in the bow of the love a father has for his daughter. How beautiful. – Adrian
Third Place – Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Before watching Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, my favorite animal was a Gorilla for its powerful nature, commanding presence and authority. Now, I struggle with having my favorite animal also being the source of my nightmares for the exact same reasons. This movie was absolutely excellent. Between the apes creating their own society and the humans struggling to find a way to continue living, a story was developed which not only left the movie part of my brain satisfied, but also wanting more. A lot of times, sequels to highly rated movies with attempt to pack too much story into the film, leaving nothing but poor storytelling and drawn out action for the 3rd film. However, this movie discovered the secret formula to having the perfect amount of content, action, and story while allowing the audience to hope for the “main event” in the new movies to come. I’m just saying, if chimpanzees riding horses, shooting AK-47s engaging in “guerrilla” warfare wasn’t even part of the actual war, just imagine how screwed the humans are in the next one. – Evan
RUNNER UP – LEGO Movie
If you haven’t watched this movie, stop whatever stupid thing you’re doing and watch it right now. I can’t even put to words how amazing this movie was. I didn’t catch it in theaters because, come on, a LEGO movie? Ugh. Stupid, right? Who would have figured that a movie based on plastic blocks would be the thing to tell a story more meaningful than anything Disney’s produced in more than a decade – to have a thoughtful analysis of a son’s relationship with his father, to challenge our notions of the structure of the universe, to make me cry at the end like no other kid’s movie has done that isn’t The Land Before Time, and to be funnier than any other kid’s movie I’ve seen since… well, I’ll have to get back to you on that. I can’t think of the last kid’s movie I saw that made me genuinely laugh. BUT OH MY GOD! LEGO! AGGH, GET IT! – JH
RUNNER UP – Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Despite the media circus that Jennifer Lawrence became this year, Mockingjay was void of all the distraction that plagued its star throughout the year. The first movie of the third and final Hunger Games book was well-paced and had a very powerful message. Much like the Harry Potter series, the content has matured even more so than the characters in the story have. It was a great reflection of current political turmoil in a police state, one that may be too real by the time the final iteration is released. – Sherif
Genre – Science Fiction
Director – Christopher Nolan
Cast – Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain, Wes Bentley, David Gyasi, John Lithgow, Casey Affleck, Matt Damon and Ellen Burnstyn
Alluring element – Christopher Nolan, All-Star Cast, SPACE!
Check it out if you liked – Contact, Inception
Walking out of the IMAX theater and into the harsh light of day after seeing the experience that was Interstellar was blinding. I was no longer in space, in the wormhole. I had not aged quickly, yet I was different for seeing this movie… this masterpiece.
I’ll admit: I cry pretty easily – even during commercials. But Interstellar had me bawling. The combination of the immense visual and metaphorical beauty left me in tears. I walked into the theater thinking, “This will be a pretty cool space movie.” I did not have a clue that it was in fact a borderline Science Fiction epic all wrapped in the one theme that eludes us even more than space travel does: Love. The best part of the whole thing is that it was not about romantic love, but rather the love between a parent and their child. There is a scene towards the end of the film where things start coming together, as they always do in Christopher Nolan films, and I lost it. If you cry easily like me, you may want to bring a pack of tissues.
Matthew McConaughey in Interstellar.
Interstellar is set in the future. It is unclear how far ahead in time we are, but I think the ambiguous time period adds to the idea of time relativity the movie focuses on. At first, we follow Cooper (McConaughey), his two children, Tom and Murphy, and their grandfather Donald. The world’s population has dwindled, there is so little food left on the planet that the most respected job is to be a farmer, and there are dust storms so large that people are forced to leave their town. This world is a believable take on the world to come. There is a line in film that really resonates with the sentiment that we were headed for doom because there are 6 billion people and we want it all. The truth of this harsh reality is that humans will die unless another planet is found.
Enter the “science porn” as I call it. Cooper, a former space pilot, through a series of well-timed events, is implored by the now underground NASA to pilot a spaceship, along with Amelia Brand, to go through the wormhole of Saturn and find a habitable planet. There is no telling if Cooper and his crew will return to Earth, see their families ever again, or how old they will be if they do. The discoveries made about time, gravity, and outer space is astounding, thrilling, and terrifying all at the same time. Everytime the crew must make a new decision or do something tricky with the ship, the scenes are wrought with the perfect amount of anticipation; something difficult to convey to the masses considering how many of us actually understand what was going on (for the record, I don’t have the faintest idea about space travel). The amount of research that was put into this film was astounding. It was evident through the dialogue and the presumably accurate imagery of space, the wormhole, and the other planets.
Through the wormhole via Saturn in Interstellar.
In my research, I found that Jonathan Nolan (brother to Christopher and co-writer of the film) took classes on relativity at California Institute of Technology, that his research took 8 terabytes of data, and that the whole movie was inspired by the work of Kip Thorne, a close colleague of Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking. Kip Thorne was the scientific advisor for Interstellar. When the special effects team was making the images of the wormhole based on calculations by Thorne, he learned so much from the images, he was able to draw new conclusions and write a whole new scientific research paper on the phenomena. If that isn’t some science porn, I don’t know what is.
The most impressive part about all the science is how it translated to film. Space is something that most of us Earthlings dream about (my poll audience so far is me, but I think I’m a pretty good representative of Earthlings). Interstellar showed the vast beauty of the blackness of infinity. My only gripe about the movie is that the space exploration could have lasted longer. The impressive look of the movie can be attributed to the fact that it was filmed in 35mm and IMAX photography; something incredibly rare in this age of digital photography. The film was that much better because it look classic instantly. With that being said: go see Interstellar in IMAX.
Along the lines of space travel, one of Nolan’s hopes for this movie was that it would ignite a desire for space travel again – the idea that we are innately pioneers. That desire was certainly a strong point of the film, both through message and imagery. What an impressive feat to create a feeling like that in only 2.5 hours.
What impressed me most about the film’s story were the literary elements, but I suppose that is because of my personal background. Between the books in Murphy’s room, the symbolism of those books throughout the movie, the repetition of the Dylan Thomas poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”, and the evocativeness of Slaughterhouse Five because of the idea of free will vs. fate was a literary buff’s dream.
I really could go on and on about the literary aspect, but I will only focus on the importance of the poem. Thomas wrote the poem for his dying father, an amazing juxtaposition to the idea that Interstellar projects about the Survival Instinct. Matt Damon’s character Dr. Mann (by the way, fuck that guy) tells Matthew McConaughey’s Cooper that we see our children when we are dying because that is our proof that we will continue to live. The close relationship that Cooper has with his daughter Murphy transcends not only the Survival Instinct, but the fear children have about watching their parents die – a true testament to the brilliance in writing by having the poem repeated throughout. It didn’t hurt that Michael Caine was the one to recite it. Everything is better British.
Anne Hathaway in Interstellar.
If you’ve kept up with me thus far, you may be wondering, “Ok the message was cool and so was the space stuff, but did McConaughey live up to his Lincoln car ads?” Joking aside, the acting was excellent. Not only was McConaughey so utterly believable as an explorer, scientist and father, Hathaway shined as his teammate. In addition, I was astounded by David Gyasi’s performance as fellow astronaut Romilly, who must age by 23 years ahead of his crew at one point in the movie. It should be noted that Michael Caine, Jessica Chastain, Matt Damon, John Lithgow, Casey Affleck, Mackenzie Foy were equally as astounding as the headliners. Furthermore, the robot TARS, voiced by Bill Irwin was the perfect counterpart to rest of the cast. Also, I really hope there are actually TARS in the future.
TARS in Interstellar
One major triumph of Interstellar was keeping the story fresh and interesting throughout its long run time. There was always a clear direction. When the mission changed, it was easy to keep up, and as exciting as the last mission. Boredom never occurred, which could have been an easy turn to take. There was a moment when I thought we were going to get a prettier version of Armageddon, but then went in a totally different direction, which was much appreciated. Part of what created such an atmosphere of suspense was the score and use of sound. The music was gripping, as were the perfectly executed sounds within the spaceship, outside the spaceship, and the use of silence. At one point, there is a terribly loud noise in a scene that is very unexpected followed by immediate deafening silence. There was a gasp throughout the theater and then an instant hush, causing the feeling that we were all in this together.
All being in this together, whatever this is, is the essence of Interstellar. In ways we are alone in this galaxy, but we must forge connections in our galaxy, whether between the stars or between each other. We are humans. We will find a way to survive. We must work together in order to continue on. Not just surviving, but living. Feeling. And loving. No matter what Interstellar proved that no matter how advanced we are, that love will transcend time and space. How profound.
All pictures belong to Paramount Pictures and Syncopy.
After the month of October brought us a handful of diverse, good movies, we come to the barren wasteland that is November. Aside from a new Oscar contenders, indie films and family blockbusters, this November looks to be a relatively quiet one. Take advantage of the time off and go see one of these movies!
November 7 – Big Hero 6
Starring: Ryan Potter, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., TJ Miller, Maya Rudolph, Alan Tudyk
The powerhouse combo of Marvel and Disney have teamed up to bring us the newest, and probably one of the best, animated feature of the year. Big Hero 6 is based on a comic series of the same name, chronicling the adventures of Hiro Takachiho, a kid genius who is forced to join a group of superheroes to save Tokyo. The comic seems much darker, with its roots engrained in the aftermath of WWII. The Disney movie will be a light version, using similar characters, but giving a lot of heart to inflatable robot Baymax, the robot who wants to help people. I don’t know if it was the first trailer released, or the epic song they play during the preview, but I’m pretty sure this is the kind of inspirational animation that I might need to bring my box of tissues to. – Adrian
November 7 – Interstellar
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Wes Bentley (Seneca Crane from The Hunger Games)
The mad genius Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan at it again. After a couple years off from directing, the legendary filmmaker who brought us Momento and The Dark Knight trilogy is taking us out of this world in Interstellar. This film focuses on space travel, and Earth’s need for a sustainable life source. To add to the validity of the storyline, physicist and longtime colleague of Stephen Hawking was brought in as scientific consultant to the movie. While Interstellar has some star power attached to it in Oscar-winners Matthew McConaughey, it will no doubt rely on its heavy sci-fi elements and beautiful effects to bring people in. Look for this film to be as awe-inspiring visually as it is in subject, so this might be the one time that you pay the extra bump to see this movie in iMAX. – Sherif
November 14 – Foxcatcher
Starring: Steve Carrell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo
Who would have known that the only thing keeping Steve Carrell from looking like a total sex offender was his eyebrows? Carrell, who takes a step outside his normal funny-man role (waaay further than The Way, Way Back), plays a creepy millionaire who sponsor wrestling brothers Mark and Dave Schultz to win a gold medal as part of “Team Foxcatcher.” In real life, the story of the Schultz brothers is one of triumph turns tragedy, and has already been subject of a book called Wrestling With Madness. Long story short, sponsor John Eleuthère du Pont (Carrell) becomes schizophrenic and murders Dave. While I hope that this doesn’t become another platform movie for mental illness, I hear that the movie is chilling and suspenseful; some great performances by trio of stars here could really take this movie from cliché to something with substances. – Sherif
November 14 – Beyond the Lights
Starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver, Danny Glover, Machine Gun Kelly
The movie is a romantic drama which is both written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. When the pressures of stardom pushes Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) to attempt suicide, Kaz (Nate Parker), a police officer, saves her from throwing herself off a building. A romance soon buds as both are pressured by fame and family who threaten their relationship. I like the preview. I am a sucker for romantic dramas and the story looks engaging enough. I don’t know if it’s a romance to blow use out of the park, but it looks like an emotionally-fulfilling movie. It also has some great actors that I know I’ll get a lot of entertainment out of. I might not go to the theater to see if, but I will definitely see it when it come out on DVD. – Jené
November 14 – Dumb and Dumber To
Starring: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Laurie Holden (Andrea from The Walking Dead)
So… Is Jeff Daniels low on money? Did Jim Carrey lose a bet? I can’t see any other reason that these guys would want to get together and do this absolutely laughable movie – and not the type of movie that you laugh with. The only thing that I’m really glad to see back here is the dog van. I was a huge fan of the original Dumb and Dumber, and even snickered at Dumb and Dumberer, but from the trailers, this looked like another recycled bastardization of a classic 90’s film. If you’re really hoping for some nostalgia, cross your fingers and hope that the Farrelly brothers can bring back the magic, but chances are you will be better off seeing Big Hero 6 and Interstellar for the second time instead. – Sherif
November 21 – Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Pete Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s CGI’d face, Donald Sutherland, Natalie Dormer
The wait is almost over! Mockingjay is here, but not to its fullest; we will have to wait a whole year for Part 2 to be released. But what we have is the beginning of the Revolution. While I loved the book Mockingjay it is one of the few books I have read that I thought, “I would love to see this on the big screen.” The battles are sure to cause goosebumps, Katniss’s use of celebrity is sure to produce a fire within her young audience, and the deaths of beloved characters may start tears in the eyes of tweens around the country. While the first two movies were aimed toward a younger generation of girls, I feel that Mockingjay becomes very adult – much like Harry Potter did at the end. I know that this movie will create the same atmosphere; the marketing strategy is brilliant by using the same marketing campaign that President Snow uses on the people of Panem – a direct attribute of the mature nature of the story. – Adrian
November 21 – V/H/S: Viral
Starring: Emilia Ares Zoryan, Emmy Argo, Gregg Bishop, Nick Blanco, Dan Caudill, Angela Garcia, Amanda Hall, Justin Welborn
VHS: Viral is the third installment in only two years to the relatively well received found footage VHS series. Like the others in the series, VHS: Viral will include one overarching storyline as well as a handful of individual stories. This time around, we’ll meet a group of fame hungry young people as they take to the streets to try and get some footage of the runaway ice cream truck that has captivated all of Los Angeles. Yes, you read that right. While the main storyline sounds like a bad version of Twisted Metal, the short stories within the movie range from really intriguing (Parallel Monsters, about monsters within parallel universes) to just plain the stupidest thing I have ever heard (Dante the Great, about an actual magic cape). VHS: Viral seems to be the weakest addition so far, this time even attracting the least exciting directors for each short. Judging from the trailer it seem like it will have its moments, but where the other films had somewhat weak segments and awesome segments, it’s seems the juxtaposition this time around will be just alright and god awful. I’ll give it a shot, because I always do, but I’ll probably hate myself for it. – Keriann
November 21 – The Imitation Game
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister from Game of Thrones)
Get ready to learn somethin’ ‘Murica. Unlike the flurry of WWII movies made in recent years, The Imitation Game follows a British group of scientists who use computer science via the Enigma machine to break the Germans advanced communication codes. Spearheaded by Alan Turing, the group uses their technological prowess to learn the codes created by the Nazis. Based on the true events, the film is sure to shed some light on the major contributions of other countries in the war. Turing is credited with making some of the biggest contributions and advancements in the war, possibly stopping the war from continuing for an estimated two to four years longer. If you want to learn more about Alan Turing’s life (warning: it ain’t pretty), I highly recommend checking out The Enigma by Andrew Hodges from your local library. – Adrian
November 26 – Horrible Bosses 2
Starring: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Chris Pine, Christoph Waltz, Kevin Spacey, Jonathan Banks (Mike from Breaking Bad), Keegan-Michael Key (Key from Key & Peele)
Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis are back to commit crimes against employers for a second time in Horrible Bosses2. If you saw the original Horrible Bosses, you know that the three of them have excellent chemistry and they are one of the funniest groupings of comedic actors I’ve seen. Director Sean Anders looks like he knows how to do a sequel right. He took what was already a funny movie and just built upon it well. He brought back the main cast of characters and kept the favorites in Jamie Foxx and Kevin Spacey. Jennifer Anniston is also back but….meh. They also bring the talents of Christoph Waltz and Chris Pine. You wouldn’t expect to see Waltz in a comedy but I have a feeling he’ll be good. I liked him in The Green Hornet, yeah I said it. Chris Pine looks like Gary from Team America: World Peace. This time instead of trying to kill their bosses they’re the bosses. When Christoph Waltz comes around to take over their company with some slick investments the trio decides to get their hands a little dirty again with a terribly misguided kidnapping of Gary Pine. Horrible Bosses 2 looks to be a very successful sequel, which can be hard to do with comedies, just ask Will Ferrell. Takes some time around Thanksgiving to see this one.
November 26 – The Penguins of Madagascar
Starring: Tom McGrath, John DiMaggio, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong
The lovable quartet of special ops penguins make their return after stealing hearts in the Madagascar trilogy, as well as getting their own cartoon series. As far as family movies go for the holiday, this is it, and that’s not a bad thing. Penguins of Madagascar could be a hit, and 20th Century Fox is really pulling out all the stops to make sure that it is, accompanying the movie with a video game and a comic book mini-series. I don’t think the train has already left the station just yet for Madagascar, but with the lackluster reception of Madagascar 3, this definitely feels like more of a desperate attempt to gain back an audience than a capitalization on a growing franchise. Nevertheless, Penguins of Madagascar is sure to guarantee some good laughs and a sure-fire way to entertain the whole family during your Thanksgiving Day break. – Sherif
Genre – Comedy, Dark Comedy
Director – Martin Scorsese
Cast – Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, and Matthew McConaughey
Alluring element – Another Leo-Scorsese team up, bowling with little people, lots of naked chicks, Jonah Hill with dentures
Check it out if you liked – Catch Me if You Can, Wall Street, American Gangster (but funny!)
“The year I turned 26, I made 49 million dollars, which really pissed me off because it was three shy of a million a week.” And that quote right there folks is the essence of The Wolf of Wall Street. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jordan Belfort, a man who ran one of the most successful “pump and dump” stock schemes in history. By now, if you have eyes and the internet, but haven’t seen the film, you already know the movie is about filthy amounts of money, alcohol and drug use. You probably also know its really funny. You may have read that it has a major moral, and in other places you may have read it has no moral at all. The “F” word is used in many varieties over 500 times. And there are lots of naked people. Lots.
In fact, there is so much debauchery going on in Scorsese’s nearly 3-hour tale, that a search for pictures to include in this article on Google and Tumblr probably deserved to be on the SafeSearch function. I am not shocked by much, but about 10 minutes into the movie, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. And it wasn’t because of the “F” word. My guess is that Vivid Entertainment may be looking to Wolf for some pointers. And if you are under 18, don’t look up Vivid Entertainment.
It took me awhile to judge this movie. Mostly because afterwards, I felt guilty. I felt guilty because I laughed through the majority of it. I laughed at severe drug abuse, objectification of women, little people and regular Joes like me who got swindled out of millions of dollars. And I kinda liked the people who were doing it. Which is a testament not only to the actors and director, but to the writer. The screenplay was adapted by Terence Winter, of The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire, from the book The Wolf of Wall Street by Mr. Jordan Belfort himself. And that in itself is a little sickening. We are living the life of this criminal through his eyes, and honestly, I kind of liked it. And if there is a moral to the story, it is that if any of us were in the position to make millions, we would. And then we would do very bad things with it.
As far as storytelling went, I enjoyed how unreliable our narrator was. There are parts throughout the movie that don’t make sense. And then there are parts that do. That is not poor planning, but rather Scorsese showing us that this man is a drug addict. And when in a drug-addled state, he doesn’t remember what exactly happened just right, and he is already notorious for not telling the truth in his career, so what reason would he have to be honest outside of the office, too?
I do have to give a shout-out to Jonah Hill. 6 years ago as I sat in a movie theater watching Superbad, I never would have thought that he would turn out to be an A-list actor. He was funny in Wolf, but he certainly has matured from his days of trying to hook up with Jules. And of course, Leonardo DiCaprio deserves applause. This is the first time he has really been in a comedy where he himself was really funny. This may be his moment to finally win an Oscar.
There were only 2 downsides to the movie, as far as movies go. One was that I felt it was way too long. There was a point in the movie where a major catastrophe happens, and I was ready for the story to be over, but it still had about an hour to go. It was a long night. The other was that after being told Jordan started out on Wall Street in 1987, we don’t have much of an idea of what year it is. I had to assume based off a brief sighting of a picture of President Clinton in the background, but even then, it could have been anytime in the 90’s. I felt that the other big crime-comedy out right now, American Hustle let us know where we were, the decorations, the music the clothes were so spot on to the period, but Wolf had a hard time showing us our time period.
The Wolf of Wall Street is an enjoyable movie. But it is not one I will watch over and over because of cinematic greatness. And I certainly won’t be recommending it to Grandma.
Hush Comics 