nyshrink

Even for Christopher Nolan this film makes no sense. The plot resembles something that someone very high on drugs might come up with right before passing out. Most of the film is chases and fights. I actually could not summarize the plot if I tried. It's a sad waste of talent because the leads are all charismatic.

It's hard to give a numerical rating to this film, because Fitzgerald deserves a 10 and everything else about the film is almost irrelevant. The screenplay preserves much of the dialogue. I haven't read the book in decades, but I did read it twice, and it all came back to me while watching this film.

The movie is not "over-the-top" as some have claimed. The party scenes are extravagant, but they provide an effective contrast to the later scenes that are dark and scathing in their social criticism. The costumes were meticulous, beautiful and seemed period-authentic. I didn't like the hip-hop songs, but they were brief. Most of the music is supplied by the Bryan Ferry Orchestra.

I have two complaints about the film: The painted backgrounds are a bit too obvious (as they are in most movies) and the acting was a bit of a letdown. DiCaprio is brilliant in some scenes and seems a bit confused in others. Maguire overdoes his facial expressions. Mulligan is convincing in her sad scenes, but it's hard to believe her as a woman who inspires desperate love. I couldn't understand why the Jewish gangster is portrayed by someone South Asian. In the end though, I didn't care about these quibbles.