The Great Gatsby is one of those
films that on paper looks perfect. The
trailer then came along and ended up being a master class in trailer making. The promise was there but I just couldn’t muster up any interest
in the film.
In order to remain consistent I
will confirm for the record that I have not read the book.
PLOT: A naïve and doe eyed Nick (Tobey Maguire) moves to New York to make his fortune. Nick befriends the flamboyant Jay Gatsby
(Leonardo DiCapio). Gatsby is known to
all but known by none and rumours of his wealth spread like wildfire throughout
New York. As Nick gets to know the real Gatsby it transpires that Jay is in love with Nick’s
cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan). Gatsby
and Daisy spend the summer together however as the season comes to an end telling
Daisy’s husband Tom (Joel Edgerton) about their affair has tragic consequences. END PLOT
The plot of The Great Gatsby is
more complex that it appears with social and class themes bubbling away
underneath a traditional forbidden love story.
I was never bored but I could feel my mind beginning to wander on
several occasions. The running length of
142mins (IMDB) was a good half hour too long.
Leonardo DiCaprio is undoubtedly
one of the best actors of our generation and as Jay Gatsby he does not
disappoint. Gatsby’s shy awkwardness and
nervous clumsiness evolve into obsession and sudden bursts of anger towards
the end of the film and DiCaprio handles the small changes in Gatsby with ease.
DiCaprio is the star of the film
but he is equalled by Joel Edgerton an actor who is slowly but steadily making
a name for himself. Carey Mulligan has
made a career of underacting and I have loved her for it but in The Great
Gatsby the flighty nature of Daisy gives Mulligan much more to do than usual.
The weak link is Tobey Maguire and
he manages to derail the film with his wide eye performance and cringe worthy
narration. Maguire is the biggest
casting mistake is recent memory – what the hell was James McAvoy doing when auditions
were being held? To say that Tobey Maguire
is awful is an understatement.
The Great Gatsby is directed by
Baz Luhrmann and has all the hallmarks of his previous offerings. The sets and costumes are gorgeous but there
were occasions when the setting overshadowed the storytelling. The extravagance thankfully takes a backseat in the
final act when the drama is increased.
The film is much better than a
style over substance argument but it just wasn’t the modern masterpiece that it
was aiming to be. The Great Gatsby gets
6/10. Unfortunately you could watch the
trailer for The Great Gatsby and get the same reward as watching the 2hour spectacle
– if not more.