Film Review: The Great Gatsby

Directed by: Baz Luhrmann. Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Toby Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton and Elizabeth Debicki. Screenplay by: Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce. Adapted from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerarld.

On paper it sounds perfect. Take one of the greatest 20^th century novels about the roaring 20’s and match it with Baz Luhrmann’s grandiose style. Cast (arguably) one of the best working actors as the doomed lead Jay Gatsby- the personification of the rise and fall the American dream. VOILA! An instant hit! Equaling in 51.1 million in its opening weekend; or how much Gatsby spends on one of his parties.

In a way it is perfect how polarizing my feelings and reviews in general have been for the fifth big screen adaptation of The Great Gatsby.

On the one hand you have Luhramann perfectly capturing the obsceneness of how decadent the rich played and lived during this era, as described in Fitzgerald’s novel.  People were prospering, WWI forgotten and years until the depression and WWII.  The American dream was alive and well.  On the other hand, Luhrmann doesn’t have the same critical tone and irony Fitzgerald does.  

This is ironic in itself because Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda were part of that rich circle he criticises.

Luhrmann has a more sympathetic tone towards his characters as well, even if they are suppose to be selfish and empty and carless, or sad and pathetic.  It would have just been nice if he focused a little more on characterization and lingered a little more on the more climatic moments.

His focus seemed to be more on style than substance.

I also felt that having this film in 3D was more distancing and distracting at times and overall not needed.  As well as having Nick Carraway in a sanitarium dealing with his depression and alcoholism by being given a typewriter as part of his therapy, (in the book, Nick is just remembering and retelling the story on his own) bookending the beginning and end of the film felt the same as Christian in Moulin Rouge.

What did Luhramann do right?

His casting.

Leonardo DiCaprio, despite playing a little younger (Gatsby is 32) while Leo is closing in on 40 (typing that made me want to cry a little) is a great Gatsby. He captures his smooth, sleek and charismatic side, while also seeing a more uncertain, tortured, and even pathetic at times in his unwavering dream and vision of Daisy.  He also has one of the best and fitting entrances in a film- complete with slow-mo, close-up, fireworks and swelling music.

Carey Mulligan, despite my first thoughts of being too obvious in her casting is also a great Daisy Buchanan. Daisy is described as “precious,” “airy” and even “light”. Always wearing white and in sparkling jewels. Mulligan is bubbly like the champagne that’s always present, but also captures her sadness, confusion and selflessness.  Daisy is a polarizing character. You can see her as a product of the time and her position in society, or a high-school like mean girl who in the end cares for only herself.

I also must add as a side note that despite Leonardo and Cary acting well in their respected roles, their onscreen chemistry as lovers fell flat to me.

Toby Maguire is not a bad actor and he plays the stories narrator, Nick Carraway pretty much by the book. Nick is not a rich and confident man like Gatsby and Tom Buchanan. Nick is arguabluy the empty vessel  for viewers or readers to place themselves in, since he is retelling the story. Nick is the quiet, shy, good guy who just wants to live his life in peace. We don’t know too much else about him.  This could have just been me, but by casting Maguire, I felt a little like I was watching a 1920’s version of Peter Parker, before he becomes Spiderman.

Rounding out the strong cast is Joel Edgerton as the brutish Tom Buchanan and Elizabeth Debicki as the Katherine Hepburn like Jordon Baker.

I personally like Luhrmann’s use and blend of music and music genres for his films. To me it is the equivalent to what Tarantino does with his music, yet Luhrmann tends to get raked over the coals for it. I did not find it overly distracting having Jay Z (a producer of the film and friend to DiCaprio) play in the background, among other contemporary artists.

What else did Luhrmann do right?  Having costume designer Catherine Martin handle the wardrobe. Absolutely stunning and singlehandedly in charge of bringing back 1920’s style that is seen in all the high end clothing and jewellery shops. Beautiful production design and set decorations all blend and seen beautifully with cinematography by Simon Duggan.

When all is said and done, this newest adaptation of The Great Gatsby is beautiful to watch and listen to if nothing else.  

As one song from the film’s soundtrack states: “A little party never killed nobody.”