The Wolf of Wall Street is a superbly acted bombardment of excess, not limited to just money, sex, and drugs. However, in its conquest to wow audiences with the real life tale of Jordan Belfort, Scorsese and those involved completely ignore the real life consequences of Belfort's actions. In DiCaprio's own words:

"We purposely didn't show (Belfort's) victims. We wanted the film to be a hypnotic ride the audience gets on so they get lost in this world and not see the destruction left in the wake of this giant ship of greed. ...What he did was deplorable. But I do respect anyone who's going to be forthright about his mistakes. He's not the way he was anymore."

But why leave out a key part of the story, aka. the moral? In the Hollywood of old, the bad guy always got his comeuppance in the end - not a movie and public speaking deal, and a possible reality TV show! When did being downright bad become so cool?

In real life, Belfort is a criminal sociopath who cheated vulnerable people out of their life savings, wrecked families, turned on his associates to save himself, and much much more. If he is truly remorseful, then why has he not paid full restitution to the victims, despite profiting hugely from his book and other ventures since prison? Remember, this is a man who only told the truth to escape 25 years in prison, not because he grew a conscience. Has our society come so far in such a short span of time that we now praise the wit and ingenuity of cheats and bullies? That we must show our children what they too can have, if only they throw away their morals and prey on those less intelligent or forthcoming than them? It's a new kind of Hollywood that perpetuates this story, and I'm not certain that it's healthy.

Still, it is entertaining. But, then again, I like some movies about serial killers and terrorists too... I lump The Wolf in with them.