The Great Gatsby Review
By. Cameron Hallinan
The Great Gatsby is a world renowned novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Its characters and themes are celebrated throughout the literary world for being metaphorical, symbolic, and stuff. After the dull 1970s film adaptation, we now get the flashy remake starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Baz Luhrmann. I wasn’t thrilled to learn Luhrmann was directing as I tort of think of him as the “artsy” Michael Bay. You know, instead of explosions and racial stereotypes, you get giant sets and horrible song renditions. I did not have high hopes for this one and while I will admit it was not as bad as I expected, that fact does not forego its shortcomings. During the roaring ‘20s, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) is making his way through New York and, through his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton), meets the extravagant Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). Gatsby lives a lavish lifestyle with his huge parties and on the surface, it seems as if he has achieved the American Dream. But through flashbacks of romance and deception, his story ultimately becomes one of tragedy and heartbreak. The number one problem with this movie is the fact it inevitably lacks the core of the book. Sure, the basic story is the same and the major characters are present but the themes that made the novel so strong are ultimately abbreviated in the end. It gets so caught in being “hip and sexy” that it leaves its key elements under explored. It doesn't help that Tobey Maguire is bogus as the narrator with his three emotions: boyish excitement, pretentious brooding, and melodramatic whining. Additionally, Jay Z’s musical score just does not fit. It does not match the rhythm of what is on screen and detracts from the story. However, the movie is not a total failure. Some of the acting is decent, especially Leonardo DiCaprio who is always on top form, even though these are difficult characters to portray. On the whole, the movie is a mixed bag but it is not all that bad either and never got to the point where I hated it. For what’s it worth, I enjoyed a little (a little).
Grade: C+
By. Cameron Hallinan
The Great Gatsby is a world renowned novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Its characters and themes are celebrated throughout the literary world for being metaphorical, symbolic, and stuff. After the dull 1970s film adaptation, we now get the flashy remake starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Baz Luhrmann. I wasn’t thrilled to learn Luhrmann was directing as I tort of think of him as the “artsy” Michael Bay. You know, instead of explosions and racial stereotypes, you get giant sets and horrible song renditions. I did not have high hopes for this one and while I will admit it was not as bad as I expected, that fact does not forego its shortcomings. During the roaring ‘20s, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) is making his way through New York and, through his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton), meets the extravagant Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). Gatsby lives a lavish lifestyle with his huge parties and on the surface, it seems as if he has achieved the American Dream. But through flashbacks of romance and deception, his story ultimately becomes one of tragedy and heartbreak. The number one problem with this movie is the fact it inevitably lacks the core of the book. Sure, the basic story is the same and the major characters are present but the themes that made the novel so strong are ultimately abbreviated in the end. It gets so caught in being “hip and sexy” that it leaves its key elements under explored. It doesn't help that Tobey Maguire is bogus as the narrator with his three emotions: boyish excitement, pretentious brooding, and melodramatic whining. Additionally, Jay Z’s musical score just does not fit. It does not match the rhythm of what is on screen and detracts from the story. However, the movie is not a total failure. Some of the acting is decent, especially Leonardo DiCaprio who is always on top form, even though these are difficult characters to portray. On the whole, the movie is a mixed bag but it is not all that bad either and never got to the point where I hated it. For what’s it worth, I enjoyed a little (a little).
Grade: C+