The Great Gatsby: Film Review (no spoliers, wait didn't you read the book?)
"I want to write something new, something extraordinary and beautiful
and simple and intricately patterned."
—F. Scott Fitzgerald
A grand story, a grand film! This visually captivating and exceptionally acted adaptation of the classic American book will allow moviegoers to sit back and indulge. The uniquely imaginative mind of writer/producer/director Baz Luhrmann comes the new big screen adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby. In his adaptation, the filmmaker combines his distinctive visual, sonic, and storytelling styles in 3D (and 2D), weaving a Jazz Age cocktail faithful to Fitzgerald's text and relevant to now. Leonardo DiCaprio stars in the title role.
DiCaprio looks appropriately dapper in bespoke clothing (now readily available for daring men at BrooksBrothers).
"The Great Gatsby" follows would-be writer Nick Carraway played by Tobey Maguire (real life DiCaprio BFF) as he leaves the Midwest and comes to New York City in the spring of 1922, an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz, bootleg kings, and sky-rocketing stocks. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious, party-giving millionaire, Jay Gatsby, and across the bay from his cousin, Daisy (Carey Mulligan), and her philandering, blue-blooded husband, Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton). It is thus that Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. As Nick bears witness, within and without of the world he inhabits, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and high-octane tragedy, and holds a mirror to our own modern times and struggles.
I am a fan of Luhrmann's style of filmmaking and here the it works so well. The cinematography and 3D effects are so much fun in the opulent party scenes you can help but smile along to Jay-Z and jazzy mash-ups that in another film might feel contrived but it works so well in this context.
Just go see it (3D is fun but not totally necessary) and soak up all the gorgeous eye candy!
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