The Great Gatsby (PG-13)
11/03/14 21:21 Filed in: 2013
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio
May 2013
This review was originally tweeted in Real-time from the back row of a movie theater and appears @BackRoweReviews. Though efforts were made to tease rather than ruin this movie’s memorable lines and moments, some spoilers may exist in the following evaluation. The original tweets appear in black, while follow-up comments appear in red. For concerns over objectionable content, please first refer to one of the many parental movie guide websites. All ratings are based on a four star system. Happy reading!
Wish I had a quarter for every time DiCaprio says that phrase in the movie.
A mystery caller...awkward.
Never been a fan of anachronistic scores. Rap music in the 20s?
80s pop music ruined Ladyhawke (1985) and modern tunes consistently yanked me out of the “reality” of A Knight’s Tale (2001). I know most people disagree with me over the last one though, but I’ll stick to my lance.
“I’m Gatsby.” What an entrance! Still doesn’t rival the Duke’s in Stagecoach, though.
Or Orson Welles’ in The Third Man (1949) or Rita Hayworth’s in Gilda (1946).
“Perhaps more flowers.” Amusing quip.
The meet-cute. Exquisitely filmed.
It’s raining shirts...gorgeous scene.
The desire to repeat the past. The dangerous lure of nostalgia.
Leo sinking under water. This is becoming a career motif.
“I’ll never let go, Jack.” Psyche!
Final analysis: a towering spectacle. Pitch-perfect casting/acting. Elegant direction by Luhrmann.
Exceedingly high production values accompanied by breathtaking cinematography.
Script is faithful to source material, but not shackled by it.
Rating: 3 out of 4 stars. I think this effort would make its progenitor proud.
Though the book is far from theatrical—it’s a tawdry, high society yarn with noir-ish overtones—Luhrmann’s highly choreographed and stylized shots lend themselves well to what basically amounts to a musical without any musical numbers. The performances are beyond stellar, especially DiCaprio as the tortured title character and Maguire as the wide-eyed protagonist. Mulligan and Edgerton also sizzle as mismatched lovers. All in all, this fine envisioning of Fitzgerald’s novel will stand the test of time.