The Great Gatsby Review

 

Right off, you should know that I’m totally in to modern cinematic spins on the classics that include a soundtrack using music and artists from today.  Think Romeo + Juliet the 1996 version (which also starred Leonardo DiCaprio).  I love the movie, I own the soundtrack, and I’m a fan.  Plus, I absolutely LOVE Leonardo DiCaprio.  Not just because he’s a fox but also because he is one of the most brilliant actors in Hollywood history.   From The Basketball Diaries to What’s Eating Gilbert Grape to Shutter Island the man is an acting genius. 

All that being said- I hated The Great Gatsby.  Like a lot.  DiCaprio gave a characteristic excellent performance as Gatsby.  You felt his character’s desperation and could identify with his quest for love and acceptance.  When I first saw the trailers for this movie I thought this is the role that will finally get Leonardo the Academy recognition he deserves and though I did not enjoy the movie, I still think he’ll get an Oscar.

I wanted to slap Carrie Mulligan as Daisy.  I thought her character shallow and selfish and shallow and surface and shallow, lacking any personality or interesting traits.  Did I mention she was shallow?  But, I’ve heard that only good actors make the audience have strong feelings towards the characters they interpret.  So I guess Mulligan did a great job when you consider how much I wanted to throw a shoe at the screen. 

At first I thought it’s the story I don’t like so I should blame F. Scott Fitzgerald and not the production.  But, upon further reflection, I hated the way Baz Luhrman made the movie too.  Was everything computer generated?  The whole set looked so grand and ornate in the trailers and in the actual movie it looked fake.  What was up with that?  And the soundtrack was forced.  To imagine Jay Z songs on the radios of people in the roaring 20’s is too much of a stretch to be ignored.  Some of the songs had relevance but when the hard rap came on I felt more like I was watching a mobster movie than a dramatic romance or whatever genre this film annihilated.

All in all I was pleased with DiCaprio’s performance; I hope the Academy recognizes him for it.   But save your theater bucks for a movie that you won’t be pissed about when you leave.

2/5 Stars