Reviews

If you were to look at the basic plot of this episode and compare to the generic "SVU" episode you wouldn't really see anything particularly different. The writers, however, chose this episode to trot out several of their recurring characters whose performances lift the episode out of mediocrity.

Essentially the arrest of one (unusually high profile but irrelevant) individual leads to a child pornography ring. This is fairly run of the mill for the show. This episode differs in the fact that implicated in the ring, is the deputy commissioner of the NYPD. The rest of the episode also follows a familiar formula.

For true fans of the show, however, it is always a pleasure to see Ed Tucker (Robert John Burke) working with the SVU team rather than against them. Ned Eisenberg reprises his role of 15 years as the higher-priced attorney representing the commissioner (Josh Pais, also a multiple episode actor) during his crisis.

At the end of the day, this is a generic episode with some familiar faces that make it worth a watch.

Full disclosure off the bat here: I've owned the book written by the gentleman (Jordan Belfort) that this movie portrays for years, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Most reviews I see that have a strong negative impression seem to be misguided at best, as FIVE seconds of research into the book or character could have alerted anyone as to the content of this movie.

Now, as far as dark humor goes I am a big fan, and Scorsese's venture into this arena is certainly successful. Leo gives the performance of a lifetime, and Jonah Hill manages to pull off a role that I thought he was terribly miscast in. Should you expect this movie to be relevant to finance, you'll be disappointed. However, it was listed as a comedy for a reason. I work in the industry and had no qualms with this film.

The supporting actors did fantastic jobs for the relatively short scenes they were allowed. Matthew McConaughey, Jon Favreau, and Rob Reiner all did a fantastic job with what they were handed, contributing to some laugh out loud moments. This is NOT to say that the movie is without flaws, however. This 179 minute picture could be 30 minutes shorter, and even for a single 20-something male the amount of nudity was not really needed. I have no problem with the concept of attractive women, but if the scene is boring or serves no purpose then stick to the original 6 sex scenes. Additionally, the conclusion of the movie seemed to appear from nowhere, without significant drama or build-up. However, this being a comedy, I don't expect much else.

All things said, the movie is humorous, laugh out loud funny at points, and draws a little bit of satire out of the script as well. Great watch, and another good performance from the Scorsese/DiCaprio duo.

January movies are traditionally terrible. With this fact in mind, I generally try to avoid theaters for one month out of the year. Unfortunately for me, the top-notch cast and original September release date tricked me into buying the notion that this could be a good movie. The fact that my friends showed up unannounced to drag me out to see it didn't help either.

This movie aims to be something lasting, but for any serious movie buff, it falls well short of it's target. At times, it felt to me like a legitimate comedy. Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn) is a mob connected ex-boxer who decides that L.A. is his for the taking. Sergeant John O'Mara (Josh Brolin) is a WWII vet who is tasked with creating a crew to take him down. The rest of the cast falls into the "good guys" category of cops, moles, and love interests. This includes (but is not limited to) Ryan Gosling, Robert Patrick, and Emma Stone.

I was never bored during this film. Having seen many movies, even the terrible scenes kept me entertained by the sheer brilliance of over-used plot devices and clichéd character stories. Need a borderline cop who drinks, smokes, gambles, but has morals? Ryan Gosling has you covered. Old fashioned six-shooter cop with dead aim? Don't worry, Robert Patrick is there. Fear not, because the writer (Will Beall) has also included the 1940s tech guy, as well as a token black cop aggravated with heroin use in the community, and an apprentice to Patrick's character who just happens to be Hispanic.

I blame the failure of this movie entirely on unimaginative writing, to the point of being almost insulting. It is not as if Brolin, Gosling, Patrick, or least of all, Penn, are bad actors. They certainly made bad choices signing onto this script, but I can't see the checks they are cashing. The entire plot is predictable. 15 minutes into the movie, anyone could accurately predict the next hour or more. The actors are given nothing to work with. Additionally, Emma Stone's character serves no purpose whatsoever other than to add an attractive female supporting. Though the film is well-shot (what isn't nowadays) and has beautiful set details, the writing is so laughable it is nearly impossible to enjoy much of this movie.

I'm not one to give a movie anything less than 4-5 stars merely because I did not like it. Seems childish, but I couldn't give this more than three. The pace never slowed, good for a star. The setting was good, that's another. Finally, the cast did what they could with this script, that makes three. Can't find another strength to this movie. If you want to see the disowned child of L.A. Confidential be my guest. Re-watching something you actually like is probably a better option.