The Great Gatsby

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke, Isla Fisher
Directed by: Baz Luhrmann
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Romance
2013

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A writer (Tobey Maguire) finds himself in the middle of a love triangle between his cousin (Carey Mulligan), her husband (Joel Edgerton), and the man she loves, the mysterious Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio).

Review:

Tim: I liked- but I certainly didn't love- Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby. Like many of his films, it's a visual spectacle, and there are interesting characters, shocking events, and intriguing mysteries, but like some of Luhrmann's films, once you get past the glossy coating, it feels a bit empty inside. This is a good movie, but it's nothing more than that. It could have been better, indeed, it needed to be. Still, with as many bad movies as Hollywood produces every year, I'll take a good movie every time.

I have not yet read F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, nor have I seen previous adaptations of the story, so this movie was my first exposure to the story. As a result, I was fairly intrigued by the plot, the characters, and the mystery. I wondered who Gatsby was, why he was cloaked in mystery, and as things developed, I felt a genuine sense of interest in discovering how it would all turn out. While I can't say I was especially compelled or engaged at any point, my interest was certainly piqued, and I would not say that I was bored very often during this film. Of course, with the absurd 143 minute run time, there were definitely a few yawns from time to time, but for the most part, Luhrmann's film held at least most of my attention.

The cast is the biggest reason to see this film, and it does not disappoint. Leonardo DiCaprio is very charming and mysterious as Gatsby. I wouldn't rank this among his best performances, but he does get a few opportunities to showcase his acting talent. Tobey Maguire gets a lot more screen time, and I suppose he does a good enough job as Nick Carraway. I will say that I left the film feeling I didn't full understand his character, and at least some of that comes back to his performance. He was good, but he was not great. I'm not a huge Carey Mulligan fan, and again, she didn't do anything here to make me change my mind. I thought she was fine, but not spectacular in the least. I do like Joel Edgerton quite a bit, and he gave a good performance in a very unlikable role. I was also glad to see Isla Fisher here, but she got shortchanged, as she had very little to do and really didn't make much of an impact on the film as a whole. Still, the cast in its entirety is impressive, and they all had several opportunities to showcase their talent. I like that Luhrmann allowed his actors space to really act.

The visuals are definitely one of the big pluses with this film. Luhrmann has always had an eye for the spectacle, and that shows up here. The Gatsby parties are loud, colorful, frantic, and memorable. Those scenes are definitely memorable. I actually enjoyed the controversial, unconventional use of modern-day rap music in these scenes from the 1920s. Luhrmann wanted to capture that feeling of music being new and dangerous, and the actual music of the 1920s would seem quaint and old. Using modern music makes the film seem a bit more edgy and fresh, which was the intent. I know some people disliked it, but I thought it was an interesting way to approach the film.

Now, I've been very positive about the film, but it has a number of drawbacks. First, the movie is way too long. The 143 minute run time means most people will watch this movie once, and then never again. It's a huge investment of time, and part of this is because the film gets a bit bloated in certain places. I also felt like Luhrmann's film eventually became repetitive (in a very bad way). For example, it certainly felt like we saw DiCaprio watching the green light across the bay or heard someone talk about DiCaprio watching that light four or five times. The middle of the movie felt far too repetitive. The beginning of the movie is pretty slow, and it takes a long time to get going. That means there's not quite enough time at the end, which made the film's conclusion seem a bit rushed. I also didn't really connect with any of the characters. I understood their situation, but I never felt any emotional connection, so I really didn't care what happened to them. There's a lot of selfish people in this film, which makes it hard to root for them.

While there's a lot of positives in The Great Gatsby, I felt like the weaknesses held the film back. In the end, I enjoyed watching this movie and I would consider it a good film overall, but it will certainly not be considered in the upper echelon of movies.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Moulin Rouge!, Australia, The Great Gatsby (1974)