Movie Review :: The Great Gatsby

I recently watched the F. Scott Fitzgerald-written, Baz Lurhmann-directed movie The Great Gatsby.  And enjoyed it.  For those literary-classic lovers out there, this is certainly a movie worth watching

• Let's start with Leo.  I love him as an actor...have loved him since his What's Eating Gilbert Grape? days.  And although all of the movie roles he picks these days end with his character dying, he is certainly still worth watching.  He doesn't disappoint as Jay Gatsby.  He portrays Jay in all his floundering, friendless, dreaming, romantic facets and makes you feel sorry for him.  He makes the audience want to be his friend...because he was so sad and alone at times, while still maintaining his ever-sparkling facade and refusing to bow down to society's dictates, the snobby old-money set, or the fact that his one true love was not ever going to leave her husband for him.
• Tobey McGuire did an amazing job too.  Another actor that I like watching, and one of Leo's friends in real life, Tobey was so genuine, slightly-out-of-his-element, and likeable as Nick Carroway.  Through Nick's eyes (and narrative) you definitely do get an extra-special glimpse into both the glittering (and shallow) world of the super rich and the murkier world of society's underbelly - and the gangs in large part responsible for the continuation of the liquor consumed by the masses during the prohibition. 
• Carey Mulligan was appropriately pretty, shallow and sometimes annoying at Daisy Buchanan.  Enough already Daisy - your husband cheats on you every chance he gets.  Grow some backbone and give him an ultimatum.  Of course, she can't do that because at her core, Daisy is too afraid of confrontation, gossip and the opinions of society at large, and going without the material blessings she has been surrounded with for her whole life.  

Some critics argue that there wasn't any believable chemistry between Gatsby and Daisy.  I can see why they would say that, but knowing how shallow she is, and how slightly obsessed he is with acquiring some dream alternate reality he created in his head, their chemistry really isn't the main issue here.   

The music was at times lovely and haunting and in other scenes slightly distracting because it was too-modern music set to a "period piece".   Lurhmann did an excellent job with the cinematography!  The scenes were sweeping, majestic and made you want to be invited to the same parties the rest of the city just happened to crash. 

I would recommend seeing the movie, if for no other reason that to compare it to the book, the Robert Redford version, or so that you can carry on an conversation with your friends about current events.  

Have you seen it already?  What do you think of the movie, and of Leo as Jay Gatsby?



RH