What are you watching tonight?

[Bruce Rioja]

I was going to put WoWS on my LF list, but reading some of the comments here it's not sounding like a particularly good investment of three hours of my life.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

The New Statesman (of all publications) picked up on something that really irritated me - the narration:

The Wolf of Wall Street has energy but only of the narrowest sort; a viewer not cheered by the spectacle of young men being brutally hedonistic will find it un­edifying to say the least. Belfort controls the voice-over but it’s unclear who he believes is listening. When his wife, Naomi (Margot Robbie), appears on-screen, he warns us to “put your dick back in your pants”, which may leave female viewers in some confusion. When he corrects the colour of his Porsche so that it changes before our eyes, he seems to be talking to the film-makers. One exchange with a Swiss banker (The Artist’s Jean Dujardin) is conducted telepathically, while during a romantic misunderstanding involving Naomi’s aunt, her thoughts are audible to us. Can Belfort hear them? We don’t know. The scene doesn’t make sense and the joke dies.

And to all of that I would add the narration of the ludes in the country club scene. Talking in the past one minute to explain the hindsight knowledge about the old ludes (why do I now know this word), but then suddenly switching into a live, present-tense narration of his thoughts, clearly and lucidly, whilst doing a magnificent physical job of showing what a mess he was in. Just irritating.

[General Mannerheim]

its tremendous.

[Beefheart]

I just felt disappointed by Wolf of Wall Street, being a huge Scorcese fan I was expecting a lot more. It also think it could have done with losing about half an hour.

I have been a Scorsese fan but not a big one. But I am a bid DiCaprio fan and I am fascinated by big fraud stories - I found a biography about Madoff utterly compelling. Maybe I was expecting/hoping for too much. I think there is a real difficulty with this first person, autobiographical storytelling for this kind of subject matter.

Here are a few reviews that nail it for me, with Kermode up first:

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/ja ... eet-review" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts/cinema/ ... r-a-while/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/0ad74fa4-7eb7 ... z2qaRCZ2Qf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/201 ... oiler-room" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The film makes a conscious decision to not go into the technical details of the fraud, presumably on account of the fact that the audience wouldn't find it interesting. Admittedly, I'm a boring accountant but I would have liked to have seen more of it.

The first person storytelling device is very similar to the one employed in Goodfellas, it can work well as an expositional tool in keeping the pace of a film up, and tends to work when it's over images of the events being takled about, and I don't think it's a coincidence that it's used in two films that have both been adapted from memoirs.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

I liked Goodfellas and I have liked other Scorsese films like King of Comedy.

I'm intrigued as to why General rates it so highly.

Some searching suggests you liked the speeches and his coworkers' reactions.

Let's take this one for example - it encapsulates all my complaints. Not real, not funny instead and too long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQleT6BtCbE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[General Mannerheim]

i think you over-analyze. i have no deep thoughts about it, but i just really enjoyed it and found it hilarious. the thing i enjoy about the speeches are the animated reactions of his workforce, they amused me. lots of things amused me, Donnie especially! McConaughey & Rob Reiner too! i guess i just like tales of excess and debauchery. its definitely a bit long on reflection and the Jordan Belfort cameo at the end was too indulgent. but i still think its a cracking film.

[officer_dibble]

Thought it were great myself.

[William the White]

The New Statesman (of all publications) picked up on something that really irritated me - the narration:

The Wolf of Wall Street has energy but only of the narrowest sort; a viewer not cheered by the spectacle of young men being brutally hedonistic will find it un­edifying to say the least. Belfort controls the voice-over but it’s unclear who he believes is listening. When his wife, Naomi (Margot Robbie), appears on-screen, he warns us to “put your dick back in your pants”, which may leave female viewers in some confusion. When he corrects the colour of his Porsche so that it changes before our eyes, he seems to be talking to the film-makers. One exchange with a Swiss banker (The Artist’s Jean Dujardin) is conducted telepathically, while during a romantic misunderstanding involving Naomi’s aunt, her thoughts are audible to us. Can Belfort hear them? We don’t know. The scene doesn’t make sense and the joke dies.

And to all of that I would add the narration of the ludes in the country club scene. Talking in the past one minute to explain the hindsight knowledge about the old ludes (why do I now know this word), but then suddenly switching into a live, present-tense narration of his thoughts, clearly and lucidly, whilst doing a magnificent physical job of showing what a mess he was in. Just irritating.

There's obviously something wrong here. You quoting the New Statesman and me the Telegraph...

Divided the critics. Divides opinion on this forum. Whatever else it isn't simply a 'bad comedy'.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

As I say, I am baffled. Not real enough to be awkward, not funny enough to be funny.

Perhaps it lost a lot as an iTunes home rental on the laptop instead of seeing it in the cinema.

[Bruce Rioja]

As I say, I am baffled. Not real enough to be awkward, not funny enough to be funny.

Perhaps it lost a lot as an iTunes home rental on the laptop instead of seeing it in the cinema.

See, I can't foresee any circumstance, not even being cooped up in a foreign hotel room, whereby I'd watch a film on my laptop. It's just a complete anathema to me.

[Beefheart]

As I say, I am baffled. Not real enough to be awkward, not funny enough to be funny.

Perhaps it lost a lot as an iTunes home rental on the laptop instead of seeing it in the cinema.

See, I can't foresee any circumstance, not even being cooped up in a foreign hotel room, whereby I'd watch a film on my laptop. It's just a complete anathema to me.

Imagine watching a film on a smart phone! It's like people who only listen to music through the tinny speakers on their laptops and phones.

[Bruce Rioja]

Imagine watching a film on a smart phone! It's like people who only listen to music through the tinny speakers on their laptops and phones.

No, I simply can't. I'd rather do something else instead. I even struggle with the screens in plane headrests.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

As I say, I am baffled. Not real enough to be awkward, not funny enough to be funny.

Perhaps it lost a lot as an iTunes home rental on the laptop instead of seeing it in the cinema.

See, I can't foresee any circumstance, not even being cooped up in a foreign hotel room, whereby I'd watch a film on my laptop. It's just a complete anathema to me.

Yes... it feels natural now but I know lots would find it weird. Perhaps this is why I 'overthink' stuff because the potential just to be entertained is less.

[Beefheart]

As I say, I am baffled. Not real enough to be awkward, not funny enough to be funny.

Perhaps it lost a lot as an iTunes home rental on the laptop instead of seeing it in the cinema.

See, I can't foresee any circumstance, not even being cooped up in a foreign hotel room, whereby I'd watch a film on my laptop. It's just a complete anathema to me.

Yes... it feels natural now but I know lots would find it weird. Perhaps this is why I 'overthink' stuff because the potential just to be entertained is less.

Well, I remember lots of 'laugh out loud moments' watching WOWS in the cinema. I very rarely laugh out loud at something when I'm watching it alone. If I do it's usually a sign that something is really, really funny.

[General Mannerheim]

i go the cinema once a week maybe but i usually watch everything else on my ipad. cant fault it. and its a mini! i have some decent headphones so audios good too. cant remember the last time i sat and watched something i wanted to watch on my TV! its usually broadcasting some kids programme or reality shite.

[BWFC_Insane]

As I say, I am baffled. Not real enough to be awkward, not funny enough to be funny.

Perhaps it lost a lot as an iTunes home rental on the laptop instead of seeing it in the cinema.

See, I can't foresee any circumstance, not even being cooped up in a foreign hotel room, whereby I'd watch a film on my laptop. It's just a complete anathema to me.

iPad for films is great. Can position screen at the right distance so you are as immersed as you would be watching a large screen telly. With some good headphones it is really good. When flying I always do it now in case there isn't any good films on the in flight entertainment. Time flies by. Picture is great (better than in a seat back screen) and pretty immersive.

[Prufrock]

It's not ideal, but works while traveling I think. I got one of those Now TV boxes so I can watch iPlayer and 4od on my telly coz I was sick of watching stuff on my laptop. On the move i tend to read, but if it's loud, or I'm whacked or whatever else then laptop is ok. Girlf's tablet is similar. Annoyed me a bit, but was OK. Wouldn't watch anything I loved on it, but good for other stuff.

[BWFC_Insane]

It's not ideal, but works while traveling I think. I got one of those Now TV boxes so I can watch iPlayer and 4od on my telly coz I was sick of watching stuff on my laptop. On the move i tend to read, but if it's loud, or I'm whacked or whatever else then laptop is ok. Girlf's tablet is similar. Annoyed me a bit, but was OK. Wouldn't watch anything I loved on it, but good for other stuff.

I'd never watch an iPad screen at home like. Just when travelling, but it is plenty good enough for that purpose. The only awkward thing on a plane (if it doesn't have a tablet mount) is positioning it comfortably.

[Bruce Rioja]

The Ruskie here likes to watch the sort of films that I don't. He was just telling me that the Americans are making a remake of a Japanese film called The Audition, a film that even he described as being "a bit gruesome". I've just looked it up - he wasn't kidding.

[KeyserSoze]

haha. I remember reading something from yer man Kermode when they screened it at the Edinburgh Film Festival in the nineties. They had no idea what it was about and it starts off as this rather quirky romcom apparently. Then all hell breaks loose and they were shitting themselves