Chasing after The Wolf of Wall Street
in New York City

Hot take: The Wolf of Wall Street is Martin Scorsese's best film. Yeah, you read that right. I rank the 2013 black comedy above even his classics like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas. You can argue with me till kingdom come, but I don't think I'll ever change my mind.

The movie is funny and chaotic in the best way possible. Leonardo DiCaprio at his best, Matthew McConaughey giving an excellent supporting performance, and, the best part, Margot Robbie in the role that made her a star. Now that I think about it, maybe a huge part of why I love this movie is that it gave us Margot Robbie.

Nah, just kidding! The Wolf of Wall Street is Scorsese's best with or without Robbie, but she still makes it even better. I don't think he could ever make a film like this again, which is why I was lucky to attend the world premiere at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City on December 17, 2013.

Everyone was abuzz about this new film, and I remember people talking about its awards potential. I should've listened more closely, since they were right: it went on to earn five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. But I was too focused on seeing the cast and getting their autographs. This movie had DiCaprio, McConaughey, and Scorsese. That's as golden a trio as any for autograph hounds.

I wasn't familiar with Margot Robbie at the time, so I didn't initially focus on her. However, it all changed when she finally made her appearance in a white Armani Privé gown, and it was like a goddess descended from Mount Olympus. Stunning doesn't even begin to describe her in person. I had already seen her in the movie trailer, but the woman on screen paled in comparison to real life.

I think I might've stared a little too long, too. I'm not sure, but I remember she gave me a puzzled look when she signed my poster. It would've hurt my ego had I not been too busy being starstruck to notice. I've seen her a couple more times on the red carpet since then, and those encounters went better, so I hope she forgot all about that awkward moment.

With respect to Robbie, though, DiCaprio was the true star of the show. The moment he appeared on that red carpet, all eyes were on him. It comes with the name and fame, I guess. Even with a rising star like Robbie right there, true Hollywood royalty will always grab everyone's attention.

The same goes for Matthew McConaughey, who attended the premiere with his wife, Camila Alves. Both guys have such auras that they commanded the whole carpet the moment they appeared. That's also why the movie is so fun. It's great seeing these Hollywood superstars play the worst excesses of Wall Street, finance bros at their most unhinged.

None of these celebrities, however, can ever trump Martin Scorsese. This man is the best thing to ever happen to cinema (cue the Scorsese “Absolute Cinema” meme), so he will always be the top priority in getting autographs. The cast can thank their lucky stars that they got to me before he did, because if it were the other way around, I wouldn’t have cared all that much about them.

Overall, it was a great night because I got the autographs I wanted. I still believe that The Wolf of Wall Street is Scorsese’s number one best film, and it’s a hill I’m willing to die on.