Film Talk: Looking Back – Money never sleeps for The Wolf of Wall Street

And a masterpiece it is. Controversial? Yes. Illuminative of a darker side of the American Dream that many would rather ignore? Yes. But a thoroughbred behemoth of a flick that stands out even among its celebrated director's storied works? Yes.

Nine years. And still as bold, funny and shocking as it was on the day it was first released. Let's do this...

Directed by the one and only Martin Scorsese, 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street is the definitive black comedy biography flick of our time.

Written by Terence Winter, the film is based on the 2007 memoir of American stockbroker Jordan Belfort, and recounts his perspective on his wild and turbulent Wall Street career, as well as the private life of chaos and excess that went with it.

No film would be much of a Scorsese hit without a turn from his favourite boy, and in the finest product of their partnership to date, here Leonardo DiCaprio stars front and centre in the performance of his life.

With a cast also including the star talent of Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey and Kyle Chandler, Scorsese commanded the skill of fine stock to bring the story of Belfort and his inner circle to life. But would mainstream audiences buy in to this extreme tale of such a controversial figure? Time, and the box office, would tell...

After losing his job on Wall Street after 1987's Black Monday market crash, young stockbroker Jordan Belfort (DiCaprio) is down, but definitely not out.

Determined to get back in the game, he joins a tiny and laid-back investment centre where his new colleagues are blown away by his slick pitches and sales prowess.

They however have a lesson for Belfort, introducing him to penny stocks, the sale of which can make Belfort himself 50 per cent commission. After flying high to the point where he is banking $72,000 a month, Belfort founds his own firm, Stratton Oakmont, with his neighbour Donny Azoff (Hill).

Together the two recruit a team of money-hungry individuals who, by following Belfort's bulletproof sales script, will ensure the firm makes more money than anyone could know what to do with.

Now back on Wall Street, as Belfort's success and reputation grows, so does the decadence of his lifestyle, with he, Azoff and their associates regularly indulging in drugs, prostitutes and other vices.

As the financial activities of the firm cross the line of the law, Belfort becomes the subject of an FBI investigation. Will 'The Wolf of Wall Street' be able to outsmart the authorities? Or is his dream empire destined to come crashing down?..

The first major American flick to be released exclusively through digital distribution, The Wolf of Wall Street was a monumental commercial success, grossing $392 million worldwide and becoming Scorsese's highest-grossing movie.

Unsurprisingly, the film sparked controversy over its morally ambiguous depiction of events, lack of sympathy for victims, explicit sexual content, extreme profanity, depiction of hard drug use, and the use of animals during production.

With its no holds barred approach, the flick in fact set a Guinness World Record for the most instances of swearing in a film ever.

Generally, The Wolf of Wall Street received positive reviews from critics, and was nominated for several awards, including five Oscars, three of which were for Best Director, Best Actor and Best Picture.

Though DiCaprio's elusive first Academy Award did not arrive until after his performance in 2015's The Revenant, it is for The Wolf of Wall Street that this honour should surely have been bestowed. Arguably the best film Martin Scorsese has ever turned out (tied, perhaps, with Goodfellas), this one was instantly propelled into the stratosphere as a lesson in movie-making and storytelling.

Brilliant from start to finish – if you haven't seen this one yet, tread carefully (not at all for the faint of heart) but prepare to have your mind blown.